Christmas Day

December 25
Julie Hinz

The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not overtake it. John 1:5

The basic question of these last weeks of reflection has been “how the reality of this Babe in a manger that we celebrate today, change how I live my life on a day-to-day basis?”

My gut response is often “I’m not sure it does. This is just who I am and what I do.” But dig a little deeper, push that annoying “why?” as far as possible and I discover that when I was very young, someone – parent, grandparent, teacher, mentor – taught me that Jesus loved me so much he became human to save me from death. And not just me but everybody else. So, I GET to love everybody else without hesitation. That message stuck.

Today, shaped by time, wisdom, and experience, that lesson has been honed, focused, and hopefully projected more deeply and broadly than before. As we discover who we are and begin exploring our own gifts we find that the Light of that tiny Babe has been implanted into our own hearts; our own ways of being have become conduits for that infant Light to shine into the world.

Every time we reach out a hand to help or bring joy, comfort, laughter, provide food, drink, clothing when they are needed; every time we engage in conversation with our neighbor or sit with the hurting; every time we gather as the body of Christ or faithfully tend to our vocations; every time we rejoice in who God created us to be and use the fullness of gifts given us, that holy Light shines out.

And what happens when there is light? There is no more darkness. Darkness cannot exist where there is light. When you and I allow the Christmas Light to shine out through us into the world simply by being God’s people in our every-day lives, the darkness flees. Light spreads.

May you go into the world boldly shining the Light of Christ into every dark and hurting corner of the world.

Lord God, continue to kindle your Christmas light in the hearts of your people. Remind us that this light is to be shared throughout our darkened world and, living our lives in you, we are beacons of Your love and hope to a world in need. Amen.