The dawning of more light

Throughout the month of December, we watched as the days grew shorter, and the night lasted longer. The winter solstice marked the season’s change, and now, the promise of more light to our days. It’s a thing of awe this rotation, this movement of earth and sun and moon, inviting us to ponder the effects of light and of shadows. There are but incremental increases in sunlight, for sure. But there will be more light!

For those of us living in the northern hemisphere, the seasons of Hanukkah, Christmas, and Kwanzaa offered another chance to see how light breaks forth in the midst of darkness.

That’s a good thing to remember, especially in these days when so much feels uncertain. We read news of government shut downs based on fear, see pictures of women and children around the world, hungry and afraid. We see how hard life can be for some … so hard that they risk traveling thousands of miles for a chance at a better life, only to be told “there is no room in this inn.”

And yet, light shines. A new year has begun and with it comes hope. The promises of peace on earth and goodwill to all, heard around the world a little over a week ago, remain elusive. What will move us this year as we move into a new year and see again the need for love and hope and compassion in our world?

In the darkest of places, we see glimmers of light, of hope, of truth. In ways big and in ways small, I see light shining. In spite of all the fear talk and mean spirited policies coming out of the mouths of leaders who share more in common with the Roman empire and the Herods of days past, I see people being kind and gracious, generous and caring.

We might also note that the light shining, even dimly, invites us to see the hardships that some in our communities face. We dare not turn away from the sadness of neighbors who struggle to make ends meet, to support their families, to work so that their children might have better opportunities.

These days point us to the ways that even in the darkness we can be bearers of light for one another and for the world. This is the story of God’s love for all the world.

Beginning with the new year, I keep an eye on the time of sunrise, and sunset. The change in light comes gradually, just a minute in the morning, a minute or two in the evening. But it makes a difference, in my mood, in the way that world appears to me. It will be my hope that it will do the same for you. Ever, a bit more light surrounds us.

May we be inspired to lives of kindness and compassion, ready to meet God in the stranger, in the hurting, in the vulnerable. May this season of miracles and wonders surprise us, and bring us to a place of hope and compassion, of kindness and generosity, of wonder and awe.

The Rev. Maria LaSala