When The Darkness Comes

But, the Easter story...IT DOES!

It is Jesus' death on the cross that connects us to a Father who knows what it's like to lose a child to undeserved suffering. It's the empty tomb that promises us that God refuses to let the darkness of death have the last word. Christmas may warm our souls with hope, but when the darkness comes we need Easter!

This family in Wyomissing needed Easter on Christmas morning---Christmas alone is simply not enough!

Each year we elevate the holiday of Christmas so high that, I think, we assume the Biblical story behind it must have the same elevated power and authority to save us as well. But, it doesn't. It was never meant to. Easter is our primary story. It's Easter that has the power to shine a light that the darkness can not overcome. It's Easter that makes sense of Christmas. When we realize the gift of God's love on the cross, then we understand the gift of God's Son in the manger.

In the end, Laney and her mother, did more to bear witness to the gospel than many of us do in our entire lifetime. Like John, in today's gospel message, who was not the light but came to testify to the light. Laney's story testified to the light, and showed us how we can too.

For a brief moment---during our celebrations of Christmas---she and her mother made us stop and think about how fortunate each of us is. How truly blessed we all are. How each person matters to God and how truly precious each moment of life is. She made me remember what Christmas is truly about: God fulfilling a promise to us to send the light of life into the world--a light that no darkness can overcome. Christmas is just the beginning....and Easter is the rest of the story.

For this reminder of things that are most important, I am grateful this Christmas.

Now, what does this message mean to us at the beginning of this new year?

Will we fall into our usual ways of taking life for granted and relying on selfish materialism to fill our empty souls? Or, will we begin to live into the promises given at our Baptisms, and treat this gift of life as precious and every person as someone who matters to God?

That decision is what is left for us to determine.

But, just as the Christmas message was foretold by Isaiah where he wrote, "And a little child will lead them..." so it is with us in a very real sense of it this year. Out of our materialism, out of our selfishness, a little child has led us to the gospel where we are compelled with compassion and empathy for someone we never met.

May this message help to inspire us to make better choices with our lives in the new year.

Amen.