Light of the World
As those of us in the northern hemisphere enter into the season marked by the longest nights and shortest days of the year, I can't help but reflect on the pervasiveness of light in our lives, despite the seasonal rhythms of darkness in the natural world. In spite of these short winter days, or perhaps because of the long hours of darkness, Christmas is the best season in which to celebrate light. For, it is at Christmas that we celebrate that: The people walking in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in a land of deep darkness a light has dawned. Isaiah 9:2 Ironically, it is during the depths of the northern winter that nature treats us to some of its most conspicuous and glorious displays of light. In the winter, we enjoy late morning sunrises and early evening sunsets. Though our nights are long and cold, in clear weather they are filled with the brilliance of starshine and moonlight. For those in the far north, this is t...