Overcoming the Darkness

On Christmas Eve, a small group of believers gathered in the conference room of our residence in Kabul to celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ with a Christmas Eve Candlelight Service. We were small in number, but mighty in spirit. The text below is a 'paraphrase' of the message that I felt led to deliver that evening in a land far away from home.

Overcoming the Darkness

For those of us who are familiar with the Christmas story, we know it begins in the literal darkness of the night. However, at that time, there was also the darkness of oppression, for God's people were a conquered people. They were a beaten and a defeated people. There was the darkness of persecution. Indeed, it was a despised universal taxation that brought the participants in the story together on that fateful night. There was the darkness of disillusionment. There was an ever-increasing number who felt that violence, not faith, was the most effective path. Yes, on that first Christmas, the mood of all the people was one of despair and resignation.

Thus it was then and thus it is now. We too still live in a world of darkness, don't we? There are wars and rumors of wars, hunger, disease and unemployment, racism, loneliness, and a sense of emptiness. I don't have to tell any of you about the darkness, because in one form or another, at one time or another, it has touched the life of each person here - each of us has our own reasons for coming to this place.

At some time in our lives, we all have been acquainted with the night. We have unexpectedly lost loved ones or lost jobs or been part of a broken marriage or have been wronged by someone we loved….Each of us has our own story of our time within the darkness of despair and pain. Thus, we do not come here this evening to naively deny the existence of the darkness. And nowhere in scriptures do we receive a pep talk and an argument that things aren't really as bad as they seem. Rather, the scriptures affirm for us time and time again that the darkness is real and it is present.

But, scripture also affirms that there is a light at the end of the tunnel. The prophet Isaiah wrote, “people who walk in darkness have seen a great light.” Luke’s Gospel records: “The light shines in the darkness and the darkness has not overcome it.” Thus, in a few moments, we come together to sing again the words:

“Silent night holy night, Son of God, love’s pure light,
radiant beams from thy holy face,
with the dawn of redeeming grace,
Jesus, Lord, at thy birth,
Jesus Lord at thy birth.”

Brothers and sisters, the good news of Christmas is that in the midst of a deep darkness there came a light, and the darkness was not able to overcome that light. It was not just a temporary flicker. It was an eternal flame. We need to remember that. There are times, in the events of the world and in the events of our own personal lives, when we feel that the light will be snuffed out. But the Christmas story affirms that whatever happens, the light still shines.

As we heard from several of our scripture readings tonight, the ancient Hebrews were afraid of the darkness. They were particularly afraid of a place they called the outer darkness. To them creation began when God said: Let there be light. To them, where there was darkness there was only void and emptiness. What great meaning and hope it must have been for them when they heard Jesus refer to himself as the “light of the world”.

I believe we need to hear these words this Christmas as the families of Afghanistan and Iraq and Sudan and Somalia are suffering. We need to hear these words as the families of war torn Israel and Gaza, both Jewish and Palestinian, are overwhelmed with grief. We need to hear these words as the families of our men and women of our military long for their loved ones to be home this season. Yes, the darkness of this world is very real. But because of the miracle of Christmas, it will never get so dark that we can't see the light.

Into the darkness of this world, God sends an eternal light. As you walk outside this evening, notice that the darkness does not intrude upon the light. On the contrary, it is the light that intrudes upon the darkness. Light is always stronger than darkness. And the forces of light are stronger than the forces of darkness.

The greatest need in our mixed up and confused world this day is to let people know that there is hope. We need to share with our families and friends that life is worth living no matter what. We should never be discouraged to the point of despair. In Jesus Christ, we shall cling to the hope the life overcomes death, that love conquers hate, and that truth will prevail over falsehood. We are the people of light and we must share that light in a dark and a dreary land.

Why do you think that God chose to use a star to guide the Wisemen to Bethlehem? I am convinced that it was not by accident. It was an eternal reminder to them and to us that in a sea of darkness, it is the light that keeps us going forward. It is the light of hope and the light of Christ that leads the way and dispels the gloom.

It is my prayer that the light of Christmas will shine and enlighten the dark corners of your life and that you, too, will discover the pathway to Bethlehem. It is my prayer this Christmas that the light of Christ will strengthen you and lift you up to overcome the darkness of this world. It is my prayer tonight that the Eternal of Jesus Christ always shines forth from your spirit for all to see – that this world may one day overcome the darkness once and for all.

Merry Christmas!

Pastor Russ