Light becomes a premium item this time of year here in the Pacific Northwest of the United States. Wake up in the dark, and before too many hours pass by, socked in again with dingy inky gloom.

We enjoy an annual event called ‘The Lights of Christmas’ held at a Christian retirement and conference facility north of where we live, where literally millions of lights adorn trees, rooftops, wooden reindeer, whatever and wherever they can be strung!

Carolers sing. Hot chocolate and fresh donuts tempt us. Christmas skits add a cheerful angle to a familiar story. Jesus’ birth celebrates with lights galore! Sometimes we stay overnight, giving us extra hours to stroll those sparkling acres.

John 1: 4-5–‘In him was life, and the life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.’ The light of Christmas! Its source? ‘In him…’– in Jesus, that is. Not only do we find life…’in Him’…but also light for all who believe.

It’s maddening how society heads downhill morally, ethically, whatever, as far away from God’s ways as possible. Their moody, broody and nightmarish path keeps getting steeper and steeper as the speed to hades accelerates without any brakes at all. Dark. Ever more dark.

Yet there’s hope. Where? You know! God’s light, found in Jesus, shines everywhere that He’s wanted and asked for. No secret society membership or coded passwords required. No juiced-up, hyper-inflated entrance fees.

What then? Mere simple faith and trust in Jesus alone, giving us new hearts and minds which soak up His light, warmed and comforted, seeing what we hadn’t noticed before. Much clearer now when we dig deeper into our Bibles, close and ever closer to our Lord.

Raise up the curtains! Open the blinds and shutters! Let the light shine in! Thank the Father for the gift of His Son Jesus. After all, He’s still the only reason for the season.

Thank you, Jesus, for giving us life and light. Amen.