Isaiah 52:7-10  Hebrews 1:1-4,(5-12)  John 1:1-14  Psalm 98

Our emergency EXIT lights that hang above nearly every doorway throughout the church building are a big issue around here.  Our wardens Bill Menheer and Ray Camden will confirm that these lights require constant attention – keeping the bulbs replaced or the entire fixture replaced is an ever-present hassle.  If Church Insurance or the fire marshal shows up and finds one of these lights not working, we are cited for this critical safety violation.

We scoff and shake our heads at this bother.  And, yet, when we find ourselves in the dark, particularly in a crisis, our first goal is to get light restored.  We keep a flashlight where we know we can find it in the dark when our power goes out at home; airlines assure us that if the cabin lights fail during flight, the aisles will be lighted for our safety; our Christmas trees are not very festive without lights; when we head down an otherwise dark hall here in this building, our path is lighted by the ever-present emergency exit light, which is to our advantage.  We want to know that if we are plunged into darkness, light will soon be available.  When, we are in the darkness, we just can’t think of much else until we have light.

Yet, I am known to creep around in the dark.  When I go out at night to walk the dogs, I refuse to turn on the floodlights; I want to see the moon and the stars and the bright planets that are visible.  I can always be depended upon to tell you the moon’s progress – waxing or waning.  There is great satisfaction in strolling under the bright moonlight.

However, if we know our earth science, we know that the moon has no light except that reflected by the sun; though we refer to the quarter moon and half moon – the waxing and the waning, the moon doesn’t change; the light of the moon is dependent upon the ever present light of the sun and the position of the earth; the moon has no light of its own; it simply sends back to us on earth the reflection of the light of the sun, which is always shining somewhere in the world.

Light is an important theme for the writer of John’s Gospel.  The Word (capital W) that has come into the world is the true light.  We affirm that, and will reaffirm that in just a few moments when we stand together to recite the Nicene Creed:  “God from God, Light from light, true God from true God.”  Jesus the Son is the true light; his light is the light of God.

Our lesson emphasizes that John the Baptist was not the light, but that he had come to testify to the true light that was coming into the world.  John the Baptist was a reflection of the true light, which is Jesus Christ.

Just as for John, the true light does not radiate from us; it is the reflected light of Christ; it is reflected upon us into the darkness of the world.  Being the reflection of the light of the world requires our remaining close to Christ.  It is the light of Christ reflected in us that comes into the chaos of the world.

I pray this Christmas is a renewal of your joy, perhaps a time to understand more clearly the awesome impact of the Incarnation – the true light of the Word made flesh coming to live among us.   Do not let the glory of this season go unnoticed – the grace and truth of the Word made flesh.

There is no evil that is not overcome by the goodness of God; the vast darkness of the night sky only serves to accentuate the brightness of the sun’s reflection on the moon.

As you carry with you a renewed sense of joy of the Word made flesh, remember that you are the reflection of the light of Christ – the light of grace and truth that shines in the darkness, and the darkness cannot overcome it.