“In order for the light to shine so brightly, the darkness must be present.” – Sir Francis Bacon

“For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light.” – Ephesians 5:8 NKJV

“And God said, ‘Let there be light’ and there was light.” – Genesis 1:3 NIV

“Then Jesus spoke to them again, saying, ‘I am the Light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life.'” – John 8:12 NKJV

I’m not certain, but fairly positive that if you looked back in my family lineage and ancestry, you would find the name Ebenezer Scrooge listed somewhere – a distant relative that’s responsible for passing along the “humbug” DNA that tends to surface inside of me this time of year.

I know. It’s shameful and downright hypocritical for an author of Christian inspirational writings to admit to such a thing, but hopefully my honesty in the matter will provide me with a little credibility when it comes to sharing what I have to say this Christmas.

When it comes to Christmas this past decade, I’ve found myself lacking the yuletide spirit that others expect us to possess this time of year.  I don’t feel very merry or jolly, like “rocking around the Christmas tree” or even decking any halls with boughs of holly. 

In fact, there’s a darkness that comes during Christmas – a shadow that looms over my mind like no other time of year.  I find myself drawn to thoughts of the darker side of life instead of the parties, presents, and feasts so many of us find ourselves indulging in during the holidays.

To best describe this mindset, I can think of no better example than good old Ebenezer himself.

For Scrooge, Christmas brought back memories of a lonely childhood – where an unloving father would leave him at boarding school during the holidays.  Christmas was a reminder of losing his dearest sister Fan so early and so young. It was during a Christmas season that he was left by Belle, the love of his life, who didn’t want to compete with money for Ebenezer’s affection.

He felt a darkness, an emptiness, and a hopelessness that was hard to overcome.  He didn’t feel joy. He felt hurt and the hurt was hard to let go.  

Many of us think of Ebenezer as a twisted old man, but if the truth be known, each of us struggles with a form of our own darkness during the holiday season.  Like Scrooge, we desperately want to be as merry as Fezziwig, as hopeful as Bob Cratchit, and feeling as blessed as Tiny Tim. But no matter how hard we try, the ghosts of Christmas Past keep pushing us back to the shadows, darkness and disappointments of long ago.  For some of us, the ghosts of Christmas Present make it impossible to imagine any happiness or hope in the “Christmases yet to come”.

I know I am not alone.  I see friends, family, and acquaintances in their own form of darkness this Christmas.  A wife struggling with addiction, a husband who won’t come home, an empty place next to the Christmas tree where a dear, dear loved one used to sit – now gone because they took their own life in the midst of despair.  I can imagine what the families in the Gaza Strip and Israel must feel as they are dealing with loss and emptiness hard to fathom. Think about all the mass shooting victims and their families – trying to make sense out of the horrific pain they are feeling right now.

Many of us don’t want to ponder such things.  We don’t want it to spoil our own Christmas!  We want to focus on the gifts, the food, and all the traditions.  If you’re not merry, jolly, and full of “Ho, Ho, Ho”, then something must be wrong with you.

But if you are experiencing darkness this Christmas, let me tell you there is nothing wrong with you.  In fact, you are more normal than the people who are dancing in their driveways hugging a Lexus with a big red bow on it 🙂

The bottom line is you’re more blessed in the darkness and here is why:

When you think about it, darkness was a large part of the very first Christmas.  The Christ child didn’t come in the morning, at midday sun, or in the midst of a leisurely afternoon.  He came in the very center of darkness – in the deepest, density of night.  In the cold, dark chill of the nighttime air, a miracle was born.

Symbolically, God is trying to tell us something big.  If you’re in the midst of darkness, your miracle is coming!  Not tomorrow, not when things get better, and not when you move yourself out of the darkness on your own. No, the miracle arrives at the very precipice of darkness! It aligns with what Sir Francis Bacon is telling us above. The Holy Word of God begins with this miracle – a God who speaks and light eliminates the formless, empty darkness of the earth and its waters.

When the prophet Isaiah was foretelling the coming of the Christ child, he said, “The people walking in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of the shadow of death, a light has dawned.” (Isaiah 9:2 NIV)

The Apostle John, while describing how Christ came to existence on this earth, said, “Life itself was in him, and this life gives light to everyone.  The light shines through the darkness, and the darkness can never extinguish it.”   (John 1:4-5 NLT)

Not only does the Christ child come to us in the midst of darkness, He can never be truly revealed to us unless we experience Him in the darkness.  Only people who are in the dark need saving.  Only people experiencing darkness look for the light!

People focused on filling their stomachs with Christmas ham, drinking all the eggnog they can get their hands on, and enamored with receiving gifts and decorating trees don’t think about their need for a Savior.  The people dancing around the Lexus in the driveway aren’t interested in a Savior.  The illumination and radiance that come from blessings blind us to the true meaning of Christmas.

When you are sitting in the middle of darkness, you desperately need a Savior. You long for one. You pray for one to come.  You connect with the gift and birth of the “Light of the World” (John 8:12). You cling to it as your only means of hope, peace and ultimate contentment.   Only in darkness can you truly experience the light and life given by a Savior who has come to save us from this world. Isn’t that what Christmas is all about?

So my friend, if you tend to experience more darkness around the Christmas season like me, consider yourself blessed 🙂  You connect with the need and the gift of a Savior like no other – understanding the true meaning of this special time of year better than those immersed in holiday routine and traditions.  And if it’s dark where you are, remember a miracle is about to take place!  Believe in that miracle! Hold tight to the Savior and your need for Him and you will connect with Christmas in a way like never before!

God bless 🙂