'Christ's light overcomes our darkness'

However dark the world and our lives get, the light of Christ will never flicker nor fade, says the Bishop of St Davids, Joanna Penberthy, in her Christmas message.

At the time of writing, it is uncertain whether or not we shall be living under tighter restrictions during this Christmas period to help limit the spread of Covid and protect the capacity of the NHS and the wellbeing of its staff. If this becomes necessary, many businesses will be impacted and people who had been looking forward to a more normal Christmas will be disappointed. Nevertheless, the impact of a steep rise in Covid infections both for the individuals involved, the NHS and wider society cannot be underestimated.

This brings home to us afresh that the “good tidings of comfort and joy” of which the carol speaks, lies not in how and with what we celebrate Christmas but in what we are celebrating.

We celebrate that the Blessed Virgin Mary, who had said yes to the angel gave birth to a son, named Jesus, which means saviour. Angels sang, shepherd came, wise man learned about his birth in the movement of the planets and stars and came to bring gifts. “The light shone” but this isn’t a fairy tale. Herod sent his soldiers and murdered all the boys in Bethlehem aged two and under because he wanted to get rid of the boy whom the wise men had told him was born to be King. Joseph had been warned so took Mary and the baby to Egypt. “The light shines in the darkness” and, as in the world today, the darkness is brutally real. Not a fairy tale but part of the promise of God: “The light shines in the darkness and the darkness has not overcome it.”

Jesus is the light of the world. He lived and proclaimed the love of God; He called people and calls us to live and proclaim it. He died and rose again to make that possible. Our part in the darkness of the world can be confessed and forgiven. However dark the world seems to get, however dark our lives seem to get, Jesus the light of the world will never flicker or fade. We are we are called to turn our faces to our Lord’s light, like a plant that grows towards the sun and to be vessels for His love, like little tea lights.

As the sun sets on the 24th of December, Christmas begins. Let us, wherever we are and whatever we are doing, turn our hearts to Jesus, the light of the world and proclaim, in quiet triumph, “the light shines in the darkness and the darkness has not overcome it” and have the courage to walk wherever the light of Jesus guides.

In whatever circumstances you are spending this Christmas, may the light of Jesus lighten your hearts and minds and guide your footsteps, that you may know His peace and comfort and may the blessing of God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, be with you all, this Christmas time and always. Amen

+Joanna Tyddewi