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Christmas lights 750CF

Light shining in the darkness

The Christmas lights that are now appearing in shops and houses have been reminding Jane Walters of the need for some light in our lives, especially when times are darker than usual.

I can’t remember the last time I was so pleased to see Christmas lights appearing in homes and streets. There have been years where I might have tut-tutted at how soon the signs of Christmas were appearing, but not this year. After months in which it seemed the world had gone dark, these festive lights not only pierce the gloom of the winter nights but offer cheer to our tired souls. It’s a reminder to look – quite literally – on the brighter side of life.
 
For some of us, the events of this year have felt like the light going out. The enforced isolation, the lack of human contact plus a whole host of other fears and anxieties brought on by uncertainty and restriction have all served to extinguish “this little light of mine.”
 
For others, it may have been more stealth-like, happening without us even realising. It’s like those times we might be reading, not noticing the time, until someone arrives and asks, ‘Why are you sitting in the dark?’ It’s only as the light is switched on that we see just how much the light had been fading around us.
 
One of my favourite verses at this Advent time is ‘The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light.’ (Isaiah 9:2). Hope wells up within me at this promise which is usually read out at carol services.
 
Isaiah’s words remind me that God is fully aware of our circumstances. He knows the human struggle and the help we need to live life well. He knows that, without a light to guide us, we’re doomed to stumble and get lost; so He sent Jesus, the light of the world.
 
Jesus not only called Himself the Light of the World but told us that we are, too. Perhaps we feel inadequate: the equivalent of comparing our simple string of lights to the houses around us that seem to be competing for an Olympic gold in illuminations.
 
But just remember how powerful light is. A lit match, fragile and temporary, can chase away the shadows. A tiny charging light on an appliance can fill a room with its glow at midnight.
The flame we hold out to others may be feeble and flickering but enough to light their own candle again with hope. Whatever the season.
 


jane walters 750CFJane Walters, formerly Clamp, is the author of Too Soon, a mother’s journey through miscarriage (SPCK) and a regular contributor to Premier Radio and UCB. She leads creative writing retreats and is a popular speaker locally and further afield. Visit: www.janeclamp.com

 
 

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