Friday, January 7, 2011
December 24, 2010 - Christmas Eve
I've always been a fan of candles. When I was a kid growing up, my mom had all sorts of sconces with votive candles hanging on the walls. She & I were of differing opinions about what the candles were for – she thought they were mainly for decoration, but I always wanted to light them.
Candles enhance my experience of worship too. Some of you may have picked up on that when you came to last summer's Wednesday night worship or to our Advent Evening Prayer services any year since I've been here. I enjoy their flickering light, their warm glow, their peacefulness. It makes tonight a highlight with all of the extra candles we have and the singing of Silent Night with all of our candles lit. Candles for me can help draw me into the presence of God.
But we come to the readings for tonight, and I am reminded of why candles exist in the first place. The reason we have candles is because of darkness.
The Old Testament reading from Isaiah talks about this darkness – and about people who walked in that darkness, who lived in a land of deep darkness. The people Isaiah was writing to, the people of Judah, knew darkness. They were living in the dark place of fear, as enemy armies came near and threatened to overthrow their king and their nation. They lived with that anxiety, not knowing where to turn as invasion menaced them.
And they're not the only ones in our stories for tonight who knew the darkness of the world. Joseph and Mary faced it too, on their long journey from Nazareth to Bethlehem – forced on this trip near the end of her pregnancy, not by choice, but by the command of Roman rule. The darkness grew as they came to the end of their travel, not knowing where they would stay; The shadows of anxiety and tension deepened as Mary began to feel the first pains of labor.
The shepherds walked in darkness too that night, out there in the fields, watching their flocks. They knew the weight of responsibility, the importance of guarding their animals from thieves and predatory animals. This was their livelihood, their source of income, the way they provided for their family. The darkness of vulnerability, of insecurity, of uncertainty was tangible to them, they could feel it closing in around them that night.
We're no strangers to darkness either. We live in shadowy places, shadowy times ourselves. Perhaps it starts with the literal, physical darkness that pervades this time of year, as we pass through ever-shortening days with less & less sunlight. Despite all of the holiday festivities, this is a time of year people struggle even more with depression. We lay awake in the dark, wondering how we'll pay the bills for all the gifts we have bought, or maybe just the basic necessities – the rent, the heat, & will there be enough left over for enough food? We may struggle with the darkness of divorce or domestic violence or disillusionment.
And the wider world tends to feel like a land of great darkness too, what with the struggles of a recovering economy, and two wars that seem like they may never end, or at least not with the outcome we were hoping for when we went in. Struggles in southern Sudan, tensions between North & South Korea, political battles in our own government for the direction our country will take. There is much bad news in our world, much darkness. It takes its toll on us, it weighs on us. Even grown-ups can be afraid of the dark. And so we come here on this holy night, huddled together, looking for some peace, some comfort, a way to hold back the darkness for a little while longer.
It is into just such situations that Isaiah speaks, bringing words of promise, words of hope: “The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; those who lived in a land of deep darkness – on them light has shined.” (9:2)
Isaiah isn't just talking about candles. He's not talking about flashlights or light bulbs or even big mega-watt spotlights. He's talking about God's light, the light that comes to us as a gift, freely given; God's light that dawns as a child is born this night. “For unto us a child is born. Unto us, a son is given.” (Try not to sing Handel's Messiah now, I dare you!) The light Isaiah tells us about is the one the angel announces to the shepherds as they work through the darkest hours of the night watch: “Do not be afraid; for see – I am bringing you good news of great joy for all the people: to you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is the Messiah, the Lord.”
This child born is the one John's gospel speaks of, the one he says is the life that is the light of all people, the light that shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not overcome it! This child, Jesus, the one we celebrate tonight, is the one who comes to break the yoke of our burdens and the bar across our shoulders. He comes to be God-with-us, the Word-made-flesh-and-living-among-us. He comes to light up our darkness.
In Jesus, we see God alive and active and coming to be with us in our world, whatever our circumstances, whatever the darkness that we brought with us into this place tonight. In Jesus we see that God is not far off & distant, but here among us, living with us, sharing all the messy details of our very human lives, because God comes to be with us. This was good news for the shepherds, it was good news for Mary & Joseph, it will be good news for the wise men when they show up – and it is good news for us! As dark as life may sometimes seem, the birth of Jesus reminds us that all hope is not lost, for a great light has dawned – the light of hope and promise and peace, the light of Christ breaking into our world. And it's not just for us, the angel says. It is good news for all the people!
So we sit here tonight, and we bask in the glow of all of these candles – but I want you to know that here in this place, candles are not lit to hold the darkness at bay. No, we light these candles to defy the darkness, because we know that Christ, the light of the world, has come. His light cannot be confined within these church walls. At the end of this service, as we sing Silent Night, we will share the light of the Christ candle... it will be given to you, and you will give it to the person next to you and they will give it to the person next to them, and on & on until this whole room is lit up, aglow with light and love, reminding us of Christ's presence in this place. But it doesn't end here – because the light and love of Christ is meant to be carried out of this church. We, who have met this great light, who have seen a great light shining, are called to be light bearers, taking this light Christ has given us and passing it on to each other whenever we sit in those dark places, and to anyone and everyone who is still living in a land of deep darkness and trembling in fear. Jesus is born. God is with us. This is good news of great joy for all the people. Let's make sure everyone knows!
Amen.
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