Introduction

Surrounded by news this week that speaks of darkness, it is important to reflect on the light and hope of the Christmas story, and try to live in the light Jesus brings into a dark world.

 

Context

• As shoppers enjoyed the lights and fun of a Christmas market, an awful darkness fell across the festivities in Berlin. For those who were witness to the horrors in Breitscheidplatz, Berlin, in those few seconds on Monday night, it must have felt like light was shattered by a dreadful darkness.

• The international section of any newspaper can make grim reading. The ongoing war in Syria, and this week’s images of the terrified residents of Eastern Aleppo struggling to leave their city, may cause us again to wonder at the sheer darkness that overwhelms others’ lives.

 

Reflection

It can feel as if light is always being engulfed by darkness. And yet this is the very opposite of the story about a baby born to two teenage parents in first century Palestine that lies at the heart of our Christmas celebrations. This story is one of light into the darkness.

Indeed, many hundreds of years before the birth of this baby the prophet Isaiah was speaking into a time of great darkness for Israel. The chosen people of God had lost their land, their faith, and their way. But in among this complex narrative of sad and dark days, the prophet spoke of something very different – he talked about the light. In that wonderful statement of contrast, Isaiah describes the people who have ‘walked in darkness’ suddenly seeing a ‘great light’ coming in the form of a birth. But no ordinary birth, this baby will have royal titles conferred upon him, ‘Wonderful Counsellor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace’ (v.6). Each name brings out another extraordinary attribute for a divinely appointed ruler. Isaiah also makes it clear that this reign will never end. It will be the work of God himself to establish this throne.

And so as a baby is born in the small town of Bethlehem and laid in a manger by his young mother the promise of light, described by Isaiah, came into our world. Inextinguishable, enduring and everlasting, God decisively moved to place light in the darkness.

In so many ways, we can do little for those submerged by the darkness that has devastated lives this week, but we can hold onto the light. We can maintain hope in the ‘Prince of Peace’. We can refuse to be overwhelmed by darkness, and look to bring light into the situations we are in, through the hope that is in that baby born two thousand years ago.

The title ‘Prince of Peace’ is a striking part of Isaiah’s prophecy. In a world full of violence and war it can be difficult to see what this title means. It is interesting and important to reflect on the different aspects of peace. The Hebrew word for peace – shalom – speaks of wholeness. Through the life, death and resurrection of Jesus we are restored to a state of peace with God our creator. Peace is included in the list of fruit of the Spirit in Galatians 5, and is thus a mark of the God’s Spirit working in the believer.

In the Gospel reading (Luke 2.1-14), there is a very physical light in the form of the angels. Luke paints vividly a picture of heaven’s light breaking into the darkness of the night above Bethlehem. The angels are marked by their beautiful praise to God: ‘Glory to God in the highest heaven.’ Do we take enough time to worship God and praise his name? Are we also marked by our worshipful response to his actions in sending Jesus?

 

Prayer

A reflective prayer activity, encouraging people to consider different types of darkness and to pray into them. After each sentence, leave a few moments of reflective silence before inviting everyone to say the response (which is based on 1 John 1.5).

In the quietness, think about a situation of darkness in this world.
Pray for the situation and for those affected…
God is light, and in him is no darkness at all.

In the quietness, think about a situation of darkness that affects someone you know.
Pray for the situation and for that person.
God is light, and in him is no darkness at all.

In the quietness, think about a situation of darkness that affects you personally.
Pray for the situation and that you may know God’s love and light.
God is light, and in him is no darkness at all.
Amen.

 

 Questions

• How can you be a light to those who are in darkness in your context?
• How do we maintain hope in the ‘Prince of Peace’ in the face of bad news from around the world?

 

Action

This week, each time you turn on a light in your house, pray for God’s light to shine into the darkness.

 

Young people

You will need A4 sheets of black card (one per person), pencils, pins, torches.

Give each person a piece of black card. Invite them to draw a large star in pencil on the card – you will only just be able to see it. Using a pin make pin-pricks through the card, round the edge of the star shape (i.e. along the lines they have drawn). When it is complete, the card will have many small holes forming the shape of a star. When everyone in the group is ready, give each participant a torch (mobile phones may be useful!) and turn off the lights. Invite everyone to shine their torch behind the cardboard so the star shape is illuminated.

Make the point that just as small pin-pricks can create a beautiful lit-up star, so a little light shone into people’s darkness can have a great impact – and with God, there is always light.

 

Fiona Dorman trained as a secondary English teacher. She is a freelance writer, is currently doing a MA in theology at Trinity College, Bristol and attends an Anglican church in North Bristol.

 

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