God’s CHRISTmas gift to all of us was delivered in the night. Could it be the greatest of gifts are birthed in the darkness of night, not the illumination of day? For so many, right here, right now, life is swaddled in murky nightfall, not sunny radiance – the same setting as Baby Jesus’s arrival. We forget, or not even realize, God, then and now, places the CHRISTmas star amidst our darkness. If only we choose to look up and follow its direction, God’s light awaits to lead us through even the blackest of skies. Maybe it even takes pitch black darkness to awaken us, humans, to God’s mercy and redemption. Was it by accident God sent our Saviour in bounded darkness; or was it His message that no matter how blackened our lives are, our Saviour comes, enters our darkness and births the gift of mercy and forgiveness to both me and you? The NIGHT was not holy because of all the sunless gloom that engulfed, and still engulfs, our planet. The NIGHT was holy because of the SON – Heaven’s Light, whom God birthed to shine through all darkness and lead not just shepherds and wisemen, but also, US into eternal radiance.
“Till He appeared and the SOUL felt its worth” are, often, overlooked words from the hymn. Christ, and He alone, must appear in our lives for our souls to feel their worth; and the gift of Christ, by God’s direction, did not fear or shy away from darkness. On the contrary, it was the chosen time for God to send His Son to all mankind. If our souls, yours and mine, see and welcome Christ in our darkest moments, then our souls will not be shamed in bleakness but take on illumination of their greatest worth.
Society is so trapped in gloom and feels hopeless that the gift of bright skies will ever dawn. Might not it be for this craved dream to come true, we have to ponder the truth that worldly Santa’s gifts are discovered in the morning sun; but Hope and enlightened lives come only from the gift of the SON, who chose to first appear in worldly darkness? It’s time for all of us to stop waiting for the sun to rise to find peace, joy and our way to eternity. Yes, our world is dark, but look up to the CHRISTmas star for direction and find your way to the SON. His light, and His light alone, was born in darkness to deliver the greatest of light, and enlightenment, into our hearts and souls.
My prayer is that in these coming weeks, and evermore, “O’ Holy NIGHT” will be a ray of light for you and yours.
Uplifted in a Broken Down World 