Christmas Turned Darkness to Light

I’m grateful that my cell phone has a flashlight on it. Night falls quickly these days because of the time change. I’m caught off guard coming out of a building early in the evening when its already pitch dark outside. Like a couple of nights ago when I walked out of Macy’s and couldn’t remember where I parked my car. Oh me, and ugh! Then the inward panic started to build when I couldn’t find my car remote key to click and hear my car beeping and tell me where it was. That’s when I pulled out my trusty cell-phone and its flashlight. (Side note: how did we manage our lives before cell phones? Shish!)

I’ll be heading to Rusk, TX tomorrow for my children’s annual ministry and faith community Christmas celebration. I’ll be where the sky is bright at night deep in the heart of Texas with the brilliance of the stars, but not bright enough at Epiphany Ranch in the country where lights are meager. I’ll be taking my even larger flashlight for “them thar hills” to navigate to my car.

“Lights shine bright everywhere we go; Music for the people to illuminate the soul; Lights shine bright everywhere we go.” Oops! I went off the grid and thought of this Toby Mac song that encourages us to BE the “flashlight” that dispels the darkness in our world.

I have known brilliant light at Christmas when my daughter was born on December 8th. And, as just a teenager, I have known darkness and heartache at Christmas when my Dad went to heaven just eight days before Christmas. But, as I type this blog, I remember the prophet Isaiah’s prophetic words that came true with Jesus’ birth. I believe true for us today. “The people who walk in darkness will see a great Light. Those who live in a dark land, the Light will shine on them.” (Isaiah 9:2)

So praise the Lord! The LIGHT is shining on us, too! Isaiah spoke of the coming Prince of Peace, and of the light and life He would bring. He spoke of light dispelling darkness. Isn’t that what we desire in our world today? Light is central to our celebration of Christmas. The apostle John introduced his gospel by identifying Jesus as the “True Light, coming into the world, Who enlightens everyone.” (John 1)

Christmas Day is quickly approaching and it comes with the same promises of Light and Life. We Christians celebrate Christmas because the Light did come. Jesus’ birth was not only the fulfillment of biblical prophecy, but as the angels declared to the shepherds, this infant is “the Savior, Who is Christ the Lord.” To understand Christmas is to know that the ultimate light, peace, hope, joy and comfort the Savior brings is because of His death and resurrection.

Light dispels darkness. That darkness is seen in those who are “in the dark” and lack knowledge of the peace and joy that the LIGHT brought us. We know that untold millions still dwell in deep darkness, having never heard of or ever acknowledged the one true God or of Jesus Christ, His Son. Darkness refers to evil and willful blindness. Nothing could be so dark as those who prefer to live in the dark.

But those of us who have personally encountered the LIGHT are childlike in our faith as we celebrate this season of LIGHT that points to God’s Son in Bethlehem’s humble manger. We rightly point to Christ’s birth as the central event of human history and the dividing line between the age of darkness and the age of light. And I believe that is pivotal in drawing the dividing line between the darkness and the Light of this Christmas, too! That is reason enough to celebrate Christmas, for our response to this gift of LIGHT must be about celebration, thanksgiving, and rejoicing. I’m getting my Christmas party hat on – how about you?