It Is God's Dark

John 1:1–5 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it. CONSIDER THIS It started in November with a single string of Christmas lights on a Baltimore County street. Kim Morton was watching a holiday movie with her daughter when she received a text from her neighbor that encouraged her to look outside. When she looked out her front door, she was surprised to see that her neighbor across the street, Matt, had taken a string of white Christmas lights and hung them from his house, over the street, connecting them to a tree in her yard. She looked down to see that he had also left a tin of homemade cookies on her porch. So why the gesture? Matt knew that his neighbor was facing a dark time. When she moved into the neighborhood, Matt and his family got to know Kim and learned a little of her story. She had recently been dealing with a lot of anxiety and some depression, as well as grieving the loss of a loved one while also carrying stress at work. So, in Matt’s words, “I was simply hoping to brighten her world and let her know that she was not alone.”1 Here’s where the story takes an unexpected turn. The neighbors began to talk, mostly out of curiosity as to why Matt had connected a string of Christmas lights from his house to Kim’s house. What transpired over the next several days caught everyone on the street by surprise. One by one, the neighbors began stringing Christmas lights from their house to the neighbor’s house across the street. Less than seven days later, the entire neighborhood had taken that one small gesture of love and carried it forward, spreading light up and down this quiet little suburban neighborhood.2 I love this story because of its organic nature. There was nothing planned or organized. It was simply one neighbor reminding another neighbor that they were not alone and that one small gesture sparked a movement that others wanted to be a part of. Isn’t this the Christmas story? Today we are reminded that light has come into our world. If there’s anyone who loves to tell the story of light and Jesus, it’s the gospel writer John. With more than thirty references to light in his gospel, the first you find here: “In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind” (John 1:4). What follows that truth? “The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it” (v. 5). To know this story of Christmas is to know that darkness need not be a worry any longer because light has come. I heard a story recently of a little boy who always slept with a night light in his room because he was afraid of the dark. Then one Christmas Eve, the pastor read this passage from John 1 and the young boy took it to heart. After the service, he asked his mom if Jesus really is “the light [that] shines in the darkness” (v. 5). She smiled and said, “Why, yes. He certainly is!” He didn’t say anything, and the mother thought nothing else of it. When it came time for bed, she tucked him in, kissed him on the forehead, and went to turn on the night light. As she did, her little boy stopped her and confidently declared, “Don’t worry about the night light, Mom. I don’t need it any longer.” Shocked, the mom replied, “I thought you were afraid of the dark?” Her son looked at her and replied, “It is God’s dark, Mom. I don’t need it.” Isn’t that a truth we all need to remember? Today we celebrate the good news that light has come, but may we also remember that the light of Christ needs to be shared. So let’s be extravagant in the way we take the good news of Jesus and stretch that light out to all we encounter. The world will be brighter because of it. THE PRAYER  God of wonder, on this blessed Christmas Day, we pray the radiant light of Christ’s love would shine upon us all, guiding our hearts and filling our very lives with joy and peace. Father, help us to not only receive the light of Christ, but to be reflectors of his light and love—on this Christmas Day, and each day to come. In the name of Jesus, amen. THE QUESTIONS Though the Advent journey has ended, how can you take this story and carry it with you into the New Year? The Christmas decorations will soon be put away, but may I give a suggestion? Leave a nativity set up year-round, reminding you of this story that should never be put away! Let it serve as a 365-day reminder of the good news of great joy that is for us all!