T’was a dark and stormy night…

As I’m writing this, there are only 8.5 hours of daylight, and weak daylight at that. It is stormy and it is rainy. In fact, it is just about as dark as it gets. For millennia people living in the northern hemisphere have lived in this darkness, and in it, they have sought something that seemed so distant. Hope. In Northern Europe there have been celebrations of the promise of a coming hope for thousands of years. One of the best well known pre-Christian celebrations was called Saturnalia. It was a celebration of the promise of the rising of the sun. A reminder that, even though it is dark now, the sun and it's warmth will return.

Now, a lot has been made of Christians stealing this holiday, or the fact that Christ’s birthday is not December 25th. But that has little to do with our celebration of Christ. What we are celebrating is the Hope, Peace, Joy, and Love that we find in Christ. Hope coming first and is often the foundation of our celebration. The Hope that Christ is coming, not just on the 25th but also, in our hearts and the Christ to come. Hope is our shield against the darkness, in the world and in our hearts. Hope is not a wish, but the confidence that God’s promise is true. The light of that promise lights our way in this darkness, and the darkness has not, does not, and will not overcome it.

May the Hope, Peace, Joy, and Love of this season guide and comfort you this season.