It still catches my attention every year how all the preparation, excitement, stress, busy-ness, and joy of Christmas all seem to suddenly drop away, leaving almost nothing behind, once the celebration itself is over. Some folks will bravely observe the 12 days of Christmas and keep their lights and decorations up until Epiphany on January 6th, but for the most part, after December 25th it’s all about after-Christmas sales and moving on to Valentines Day.
Sometimes that comes with a big sigh of relief, but it can also leave a feeling of emptiness, even here in the church. After our Christmas Eve service was over and everyone was gone, I stood in our dark, silent sanctuary and said to God, “Wow. It’s over. What just happened here? And… now what?”
And as we ponder that question we recall the Prologue from John’s Gospel (John 1:118). “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was God… All things came into being through him… What has come into being in him was LIFE, and the life was the LIGHT of all people.”
John helps us remember not only who Jesus was on earth, but who he is for us now – the very foundation of our life every day, sustaining us and shaping all that we are and do. This is a tremendous gift!
There is a lot of darkness in the human condition, wherever people are unaware of God’s divine life or deny that for whatever reason. They don’t sense any connection with a loving God, or may believe God has abandoned them, is irrelevant, or doesn’t exist. People in darkness often act out of anger, fear, self-centeredness, or pride, and they aren’t aware they are in the dark until they are able to come back into the light. This darkness is everywhere – in individuals, in communities, in nations.
Yet, as John assures us, God’s light will always be stronger than the darkness around it and it will ultimately prevail.
So perhaps what “comes next” after Christmas is to first acknowledge whatever the holiday left in its wake for you this year: great memories with loved ones, deep spiritual experiences, disappointment and exhaustion, relief, a sense of hope and new beginnings, or any combination of those things. Notice where you encountered God the most and where he seemed absent. Ask for strength, comfort and wisdom for any parts that were painful. Then carefully set that to one side and ask for the gift of more LIGHT in you going forward – because regardless of how the holiday went, our call to receive and share the light of Christ with the world stays the same.
One commentator on this Gospel said he imagined receiving Christmas cards that said, “Have a defiant Christmas!” And instead of wishing people would “have Christmas in your heart all year long,” he would wish them a whole defiant life. A defiant life understands that the world needs compassion, love, justice, and forgiveness, and defies the darkness that denies God’s grace and goodness. A defiant life shares a better way.
Let’s walk into the New Year energized and committed to defiantly following the light of Christ, letting that light shine through us out into the dark. And the darkness will not overcome us.
Trinity Episcopal Church welcomes you each Sunday at 10:00 a.m., where you will find a warm congregation, uplifting liturgy, and the good news of God’s love shared in word and sacrament. All are welcome! Come be part of a community that stands together in faith and love.
