Christmas Lights

The December Holiday edition of the Chaplain's Corner by Pastor Dave, SCYL Chaplain

In the dark December days, there is a blessed light. The whole month seems to be filled with Christmas cheer. Lights go up on houses and trees. Decorations go up inside houses. People seem happier. The dark December days are lit up with the cheer of Christmas.

Our church calendar is also brightened with the coming of Christmas. We think of that little baby in the manger, of innocent shepherds, of the chorus of angels singing praises to the newborn Christ child. This is a season that especially honors the family. In this season, motherhood is placed in the center of religious observance. Christmas is especially about that special bond between a mother and her child.

Christmas demands a great leap of faith. Our theology teaches that in Christ’s birth, God came to humanity. The word Immanuel in Hebrew means “God with us.” And that is what this church teaches. The miracle of Christ’s birth is that God took on a human form. God came to a world that was darker than December nights. The Word of God had been replaced with rituals and customs of men. Inhumanity reigned free. Horrible acts of cruelty were commonplace.

Into that darkness a light was born. Into an insignificant manger, a baby and his mother celebrated the miracle of birth. Into a quiet manger, a baby was born who would transform the world. This is what Christmas means to me. It means all of the above: cheer, Christmas lights, giving gifts, the bond of mother and child, and the coming of God into the darkest night, in the darkest age of humanity. This Christmas season, let Christ come into your hearts. Let Christ’s Spirit fill you with joy. Let Christ’s love shine through you. Celebrate the coming of Immanuel, and let God be with you.