1 In the beginning was the Word
and the Word was with God
and the Word was God.
2 The Word was with God in the beginning.
3 Everything came into being through the Word,
and without the Word
nothing came into being.
What came into being
4 through the Word was life,[a]
and the life was the light for all people.
5 The light shines in the darkness,
and the darkness doesn’t extinguish the light.
Reflection
Darkness is rough. That’s why seasonal affective disorder is so prevalent. It’s a form of depression that takes hold as the summer months become winter months which shift longer days into longer (and colder) nights. I may have grown up in New Hampshire, but the cold and dark have never served me well. I was a teen, young adult, and adult who has had Christmas or twinkle lights hanging in my bedroom for as long as I can remember. This year, I have a new level of appreciation for the light the Christmas decorations provide in the darkest time of the year.
This year we are beginning a new tradition in our family. Every night of Advent we have unwrapped a holiday book to read that night, and we will have this special Advent library for years to come. I wanted to take it one step further and our books are not just about Christmas, but about any of the holidays celebrated during this time of year. In addition to our own classic Christmas stories, we have learned about Hanukkah, Diwali, Kwanzaa, and Yule.
I knew little to nothing about these holidays before we started this literary journey, but since we’ve begun, a similar theme through all of these celebrations has become clear. People need light. Light offers hope, comfort, and joy. Light is goodness and it is in our nature as humans to celebrate the goodness in ourselves and each other with the use of light.
All these holidays have the lore of Goodness represented by light, and Evil represented by darkness. Goodness always overcomes, the light always continues to shine. So it makes perfect sense to me that this Christmas morning, we are greeted with the scripture that discusses our own source of goodness and light. “Through the Word was life, and the life was the light for all people.” The light here is Jesus. His life gave us light which is hope, joy, comfort, and goodness that gives us the ability to always overcome darkness and evil. “The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness doesn’t extinguish the light.” So…
Good Morning! And Merry Christmas! The light of the world is here to stay!
by Ashley Bowler
Merry Christmas!
For Pondering and Prayer
What brings you joy in the holiday season? How can you offer the light of Christ to others throughout the darkest months of the year?
Prayer: Thank you, Lord, for this day! This is a joyful day as we celebrate the light in our lives brought by the unconditional love from Your Son. Help us to celebrate with everyone we encounter as we all find joy from everlasting light. In your name, we pray, Amen.
For Further Reflection
Friends, our volunteer writers who prepare our Daily Devotional will be taking a break until January 1 (just in time for your New Year’s Resolutions!) If you would like to drop them a note of thanks, you can do so here.
Until they return, you might enjoy the following Daily Devotional pages:
United Methodist Church of the Resurrection Daily Devotional (GPS)
