Christmas 2009

12/24/2009

A Light In the Darkness

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things came into being through him, and without him not one thing came into being. What has come into being in him was life, and the life was the light of all people. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not overcome it.

There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. He came as a witness to testify to the light, so that all might believe through him. He himself was not the light, but he came to testify to the light. The true light, which enlightens everyone, was coming into the world.

He was in the world, and the world came into being through him; yet the world did not know him. He came to what was his own, and his own people did not accept him. But to all who received him, who believed in his name, he gave power to become children of God, who were born, not of blood or of the will of the flesh or of the will of man, but of God.

And the Word became flesh and lived among us, and we have seen his glory, the glory as of a father’s only son, full of grace and truth. -John 1:1-14, NRSV


The other day I lit a candle on the winter solstice and thought about the darkest day of the year, and how from now on the days would become progressively longer and we would have more light each day. Being a Christian with somewhat-pagan tendencies (I connect with God strongly in nature and through the world he made, and so like to acknowledge the turning of the seasons), this had meaning for me.

I thought of people who would tell me I should be focusing on Advent, not Yule/Solstice (and in fact recently participated in a discussion on a message board about whether Christians should be using Advent “wreaths” and other greenery at Christmas, since this draws from pagan traditions). I couldn’t help but wonder how they could not see how easy the tie-in is.

The pagan sabbat of Yule/Solstice celebrates the coming of light on the darkest day of the year, and has done so for thousands of years. It is true that in the early days Christians “borrowed” many of these traditions to placate pagan converts, including Christmas trees, evergreen wreaths, and Yule logs (in fact, listen to some of the old Christmas songs and such and hear how they blatantly reference “Yule” logs—this is one tradition we haven’t even tried to pull under the cover of Christianity!), and these traditions survive to today, though many people could not tell you of their origins. This is one reason some Christians won't celebrate Christmas, or won't have a Christmas tree, etc.

I’ll admit that I have no qualms about discarding those of the borrowed traditions that do not enhance my spiritual experience of the holiday. I do not have a Christmas tree and do not feel the need for one (nor am I enamored of either killing a tree for the purpose of a few weeks’ display, or its plastic alternative). I am not averse, however, to a few respectfully-gathered evergreen boughs or sprigs of holly, bringing a bit of God’s world inside to where I live. But it is the lights and candles I love the most, for the light and warmth and meaning they bring.

So I sat by my little candle (I didn’t light my Advent candles for the occasion, though I wanted to; the simple truth is that my Advent candleholder wouldn’t fit on my messy bedside table and my colored Advent candles are running low and I haven’t yet found suitable replacements so I’m loathe to burn them too much) and thought about darkness and light. I thought of how each year at this time we anticipate and celebrate the coming of the Light of the World. December 25 may not be the actual date Jesus was born; scholars say it’s unlikely he was born in winter. The date was chosen because of its proximity to the solstice (again, to make conversion a little easier for those used to observing that particular holy time). For this reason alone, some Christians refuse to celebrate Christmas, or insist on celebrating at a different time of year. I’m not such a purist. A birthday celebration is still a birthday celebration, whether it occurs on the actual day or at another time, and it is not diminished by the imperfection of chronology. As the actual date of Jesus’ birth has been lost, any celebration is unlikely to fall on that date, so I don’t worry about it. I’m also not worried by its proximity to a pagan celebration; the mention of other religions and their practices is not a dirty word to me, and a faith that cares more for the earth than many members of my own, cannot, in my mind, be a bad thing.

Meanwhile, the selection of a date near the solstice has definite symbolic meaning. As I watched my candle flicker and felt peace slowly wash over me, I thought of the despair that the darkest day of an entire year can bring, and the hope that comes with the knowledge that brighter days will follow. Our Savior, too, comes near this darkest of days to bring light and hope to the world, and though it may not be true that he actually came at this time of year, our celebration at this time means that we are still acknowledging and anticipating that light and hope at a time when we perhaps need it most. We eagerly wait for his coming, as we do every year, and the days seem just a bit brighter. Dark as the nights may be, dark as the world may be, we know that we have the Light of the World, that light which shines in the darkness and which the darkness has not and cannot overcome, just as John said.

Two hymns came to mind as I sat with my candle, and I sang them to myself, silently in my head, though I wanted to let them echo over the rooftops: Oh, come, all ye faithful, joyful and triumphant … oh, come let us adore him, Christ the Lord! … Yea, Lord, we greet thee, born this happy morning … oh, come let us adore him! and Oh come, oh come, Emmanuel … Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel shall come to thee, oh Israel!

How can the world be dark when he is in our midst? He shines his light and shows the way in which we should go and walk with him, in which we should love, in which we should and can and will be saved.

Later, when I went to bed, I put the candle out. But I, and all of us, will carry his light inside us on this day, throughout the year, and throughout our lives, and the darkness will not overcome it. This is the good news of our Lord--repeat the sounding joy!

Oh come, Emmanuel, God with us, Light of the World. Come to our hearts, come to our lives. Show us who we should be and how we should live, according to your ways and your love. Come to those of us who have all we need and allow us, help us, to be a light to others, shining forth your light from within us. Come to those of us in darkness and cold and bring your light and hope and grace to those of us who need them. Come to us, whoever we are and wherever we may be, whenever we call to you but especially at this time of year when we so fervently await your coming. And help us to come to you at your call. Come, thou long-expected Jesus!





O come all ye faithful
Joyful and triumphant,
O come ye, O come ye to Bethlehem.
Come and behold Him,
Born the King of Angels;
O come, let us adore Him,
O come, let us adore Him,
O come, let us adore Him,
Christ the Lord.

Sing, choirs of angels,
Sing in exultation,
Sing, all ye citizens of heaven above.
Glory to God, glory in the Highest;
O come, let us adore Him,
O come, let us adore Him,
O come, let us adore Him,
Christ the Lord.

Yea, Lord, we greet Thee,
Born this happy morning,
Jesus to thee be all glory given.
Word of the Father, now in flesh appearing;
O come, let us adore Him,
O come, let us adore Him,
O come, let us adore Him,
Christ the Lord.
*
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O come, O come, Emmanuel
And ransom captive Israel
That mourns in lonely exile here
Until the Son of God appear
Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel
Shall come to thee, O Israel.

O come, Thou Day-star, come and cheer
Our spirits by Thine advent here
Disperse the gloomy clouds of night
And death's dark shadows put to flight.
Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel
Shall come to thee, O Israel.

O come, Thou Key of David, come,
And open wide our heavenly home;
Make safe the way that leads to Thee,
And close the path to misery.
Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel
Shall come to thee, O Israel.

O come to lead us Adonai,
Who to the tribes on height of Sinai
In ancient times did'st give the Law,
In cloud, and majesty and awe.
Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel
Shall come to thee, O Israel.**

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What can I give him, poor as I am?
If I were a shepherd, I would bring a lamb;
If I were a wise man, I would do my part;
Yet what can I give him? Give my heart!***

*"Oh Come, All Ye Faithful" Latin words by John F. Wade, translated by Frederick Oakeley & William T. Brooke. Music tune "Adeste Fidelis" sometimes attributed to Wade and sometimes not.

**"O Come, O Come Emmanuel" words/music unknown; translated to English by John Mason Neale.

***"In The Bleak Midwinter" words Christina Rossetti, music Gustav Holst.