As I sat sipping my coffee in the darkness of Christmas morning while I waited for the light of day to rise and the rest of the house to begin to stir with activity, I began thinking about the night. Night is master during this time of year. Although the sun still shines, as we move into deep winter it is often all too quickly over taken by the night. With little light the world grows cold and dreary and the soul begins to mourn as it longs for the bright face of the sun. We tell ourselves that not all hope is lost, for we know that the sun will return and again shine its face upon us and warm our souls giving us energy and melting the cold cover of winter. Yet our spirit is still left in the cold and darkness, for the sun cannot melt the winter that has set upon it. With no light, our spirit suffers in the darkness, alone, seeking relief but finding none in itself. As the seasons take their turn according to their times soon the world will again be cold and dark and our soul will again join our spirit in mourning for the light: so cold, so dark, so alone, feeling as if there really is no hope.
Yet, not all is lost, for a light has come into the world that is able to bring our soul and spirit out of darkness; a light so intense and pure that darkness will never again overwhelm our spirit. In one of the darkest periods of man’s history God sent light into the world through a single act of love. A love that seeks the best for the one loved, does not seek its own, is kind, does not easily become angry, never acts unbecomingly, does not rejoice in unrighteousness nor puffs itself up, but protects, believes, hopes, and rejoices in the truth. This is the type of love that God expressed towards us when He sent His Son. Within this love is the offer for salvation, not by works but by simply taking God at His word.
Symbolically, on one of the darkest days of the year, this is the day in which we have determined to celebrate this wonderful gift of light given to a world in darkness. There are no gifts under our tree or children beaming with excitement to see what they will receive, for Christmas is not about what we get, but about what God gave. For God loved the world in this way, so that He gave His one of a kind Son in order that all the ones believing in Him would not perish, but have eternal life. Now I make known to you the good news, the one brought from the beginning, the one by which you are saved, that Christ died for your sins according to the Scriptures, was buried, and rose again on the third day according to the Scriptures. Believe and the light of God’s love will wrap your soul and spirit and bring you out of the darkness into His loving arms.