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. (John 1:1-5)

A pandemic rages through our communities, damaging our economy, throwing millions out of work and killing a quarter of a million people in our country and the number may hit a staggering 400,000 early in the New Year. Our nation is wracked by political division that rejects any that balm tries to soothe rather than inflame. Our recent national election and post-election rancor confirm this sorry state. And we are emotionally, physically exhausted by it.

But our present darkness is not any darker than it was some two thousand years ago, for two weary travelers seeking some shelter for the night in a town called Bethlehem. They face the brutal occupation of the Roman Army whose soldiers routinely extorted money from civilians to augment their meager wages. They faced betrayal by the tax collectors, Jewish collaborators who used the threat of death by a Roman sword to extract as much money as possible from the population. Their leaders could hardly put up much resistance as they would quickly be deposed and disposed of and replaced by leaders more willing to cooperate with Rome.

The world of Joseph and Mary was cold, dark and frightening. And when King Herod heard of the possibility of a prophesied usurper being born, he chose to slay all the infants and toddlers of Bethlehem rather than allow this prophecy to come true. An angel in a dream warns Joseph of Herod's murderous intent and Joseph and Mary flee with their newborn son.

And this is God's radical plan for the world: Emmanuel - God with us. God comes to humankind, not on storm clouds with lightning flashing, not with the spectacle of flying like Superman and destroying his opponents with lasers beaming from his eyes, our God comes in the form of an weak and innocent child, not to bully or intimidate human beings into obedience but to love us into returning that love to God and to each other.

Not much of a plan you might say given our greedy appetites for the pleasures of the flesh, and to grab more than our share of the abundance the earth provides and our insatiable drive to bend others to accommodate our own self-interest. And youd be right. It isn't much of a plan. But it is God's plan.

Joseph and Mary's son grew up and the light of his life grew strong and powerful. It grew so powerful that the forces of darkness tried to extinguish his light from the world. For three days, these forces thought they had succeeded. But they had not.

In the end his light became dozens, then hundreds, then thousands, the millions of little lights in this world. While it is clear that darkness still covers our world, it is also clear that Emmanuel's light of love, compassion & peace pushes against the darkness and brightens and beautifies our world.

Let your light shine before others that they may see your good works and glorify your God in heaven. (Matt 5:16)

+Jeff