‘Rage, rage against
the dying of the light’.
Of course, in his famous poem Dylan Thomas wasn’t speaking
about the dark nights of winter but about death, but, in fact, the two aren’t
so far removed. Winter represents the literal and metaphorical dying of the
world around us. We watch as leaves wither and fall from the trees, catch our
breath as the cold, darker nights draw in, and find ourselves longing for the
sweet, light relief of spring.
At Christmastime, signs of our rebellion against darkness
are all around us. We seek consolation in the commercial frenzy of
present-buying, festoon our homes in coloured lights and overindulge in food
and alcohol and late-night partying. We kid ourselves that if we do these
things, the dark will go away. But it isn’t banished, merely temporarily
displaced. For many, Christmas is a time to gather together with friends and
family. For others, it’s a lonely time – a reminder of those whose absence
leaves a gaping hole in our lives.
For Christians, of course, Christmas is a celebration of the
birth of Jesus. It’s a time of incarnation – the coming of God into the world
in the form of a tiny, helpless baby. So the time of darkness and death
becomes, paradoxically, a time of light and birth. ‘The people of Darkness,’
says the prophet Isaiah, ‘have seen a great Light’.
There is much darkness is our world at the moment – but also
much light. The newspaper headlines scream a world of hatred and division. But
while getting in the last-minute shopping today, I saw an elderly couple kiss
one another tenderly on the lips, then tease one another gently like new
lovers, which perhaps they were. I saw a kind lady chatting to the beggar
outside Tesco for a long time and asking him what he’d like her to buy for him
and his dog when she went shopping. I stood and watched for a long time as the
gulls circled in the sky above me, tucking their wings into the perfect
streamlined ‘V’ to ride out the currents. All of these things gave me joy.
These things convince me that there is still love and light and hope in the
world.
‘in him was life, and
the life was the light of humanity. The Light shines in the Darkness, and the
Darkness has not overcome it.’ – John 1:1-5
In the days before electric lighting, our ancient forebears
would while out the long winter nights huddled around candles and open fires,
sharing storied to pass the time.
Like the winter trees, we shed the leaves of our smiles for
a while, to travel down deep to the roots, from whence all inspiration flows.
Rather than fighting the darkness, we can learn to embrace this time of quiet
and soulful reflection, which prepares us for the busy time ahead when we are
ready and shoot and branch our nascent ideas into the world.
Blessed Solstice, Merry Midwinter, Happy Christmas. May you
find the source of the Light that lies deep within you. May you nurture it and
keep it safe that, like the candle shining in the darkness, when the time is
right and the world ready to receive it, it may shine its brightness for all to
see.
Image: https://pixabay.com/en/solstice-winter-december-snow-1436685/
public domain picture, CCO creative commons.
