Yesterday was Boxing Day in the U.K.
It was also the first day of Kwanzaa.
And, St. Stephen’s Day and the Second Day of Christmas. (I hope that your true love sent you those 2 Turtledoves and a Partridge in a Pear Tree!)
Last week was the Winter Solstice. That’s the holiday that so many who lived in Northern Europe, especially, held dear. It was the day when the darkness that was encroaching on the world was stopped. The day when Light began to ascend and conquer that darkness. It was the day when Hope was renewed.
Light has been a symbol used by most people throughout history to denote Hope. A symbol is simply a word, a sign, or an object that represents something else, like an idea or a relationship. For many of our ancient forebears, light was the symbol par excellence of hope and life. The sun gave its light and heat to the world so that people would not starve. They would, again this year, be able to sow and reap. The rains would come and the earth would give its abundance.
It’s no wonder, then, that people also began to use the symbol of light for things that were unseen.
The darkness that fell over humans in subjection to cruel tyrants followed the Light to freedom.
People could be “enlightened” to understand the dark sayings and secrets of the Cosmos.
The darkness of the Shadow of Death could be put to flight by the Light.
During the Dark season we also celebrate another Light.
The writer of the Gospel According to Luke records the words of the father of John the Baptist:
Because of God’s tender mercy,
the morning light from heaven is about to break upon us,
to give light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death,
and to guide us to the path of peace.
In the Gospel According to John we get a look at the fulfillment of those words.
John wrote concerning the Baptist:
There came a man sent from God, whose name was John.
He came as a witness, to testify about the Light, so that all might believe through him.
He was not the Light, but he came to testify about the Light.
There was the true Light which, coming into the world, enlightens every man.John revealed Who the symbol of Light represented. This Light was the Son of God.
He was the Light coming into the world. A world that was full of darkness. And, John wrote,
“The darkness did not overcome it.”
John’s Gospel uses different techniques in order to make his point. In some places he uses irony. In others there is foreshadowing. In this particular verse he uses double entendre.
That is, a word or phrase that has one obvious meaning, yet also has other meanings that can change how a statement may be understood. In this case, the word translated above as “overcome” can also mean to understand or comprehend. So, the same verse may be translated, “The darkness did not comprehend it.”
Both of those statements are true. Both foreshadow events in John’s Gospel.
Both speak to us today.
There is truly darkness that shrouds the world. Don’t believe me? Watch the news.
Injustice; hatred; greed; murder; war; hunger; disease.
These have been with humanity ever since we made that first choice to take what we wanted from others and leave their corpses in the sun to rot.
Granted, throughout our history there have also been those who would sacrifice themselves for the good of others.
Two extremes.
Dark
Light
There is Hope, though.
Driving from Arizona I experienced something truly breathtaking.
I left Flagstaff early. It was well before sunrise. Driving east I watched as the ink-black sky began to lighten. Stars began to blink out and go to sleep for the day. With each mile the black night darkness turned to gray, then to dark shades of blue. Suddenly, I saw streaks of rose and pink creating a marbling against the azure sky! The sky continued to lighten until a small crescent of orange peeked over the horizon. Rays of fire spread across the sky chasing the darkness and overcoming it. What a glorious sight!
But, it was only dawn.
Noon had not yet come.
I had driven from utter dark, through twilight, and into the dawn.
This, too, is a symbol if we pay attention.
On Saturday we celebrated the Incarnation of the Light.
A child born and sleeping in a manger.
Such a wonderful Hope.
Yet, it is not yet noon.
We have only Hope that the full light will come and completely dispel the darkness.
We have only Hope that the full light will also enlighten us with grace and understanding so that the darkness that dwells within us might also be dispelled.
The Light is here, right now.
And, the Light is yet to come.
That is the reality of the world.
May we embrace the Light that Is so that we may walk from the darkness, through the twilight, and, perhaps, find ourselves fully illuminated.
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