My mom and I have our usual Christian holiday favorites, as they carry a very different weight to each of us. She loves Easter; she does not cry often but when the discussion of Jesus’ resurrection comes up, she is inevitably moved to tears. She is captivated by His power and inability to be enslaved by death. For me, it is Christmas, and the truth it holds of a holy God so in love with His creation, He left His throne to reconcile with us by means of death on a cross. My mom is captivated by His resurrection, me, His birth. For someone such as myself who has struggled with self-worth, feelings of loneliness, wavering hope, and with a burdening desire to be loved, the thought of such a sacrifice of a holy God to do something so drastic, for the sake of His glory and His love for me, is too much for my limited mind to fully understand just as Paul said (Ephesians 3:19). Maybe you can relate to my unwanted revisitations of darkness, where the fundamental basis of all my hope and fight stems from that one moment when Hope Himself was born here on earth, Emmanuel. With songs like O Holy Night, that reminds us of this relentless divine intervention, hope Himself came to this earth, splitting the skies open, piercing the darkness so that He can be with us and in that moment, all souls can feel their worth even if just for a second, yet long enough to desire more. Hope. Worth. Life. Light.

This is the first time in a while where I can rest in Jesus as Prince of Peace during the holidays. Usually, I am so consumed with my own darkness and feelings of loneliness during this time, I am just trying to survive through New Year’s. It is not a coincidence that this time of year that is meant to stand as a reminder of Jesus’s birth and the hope and light that He brings, is also a time where darkness is its strongest in people’s lives. Days are shorter, nighttime comes quicker and people are weighed down by the lack of sun (Son). However, this year, as I rest and with a heart flooded with light (Ephesians 1:18), Jesus has opened my eyes to see the darkness around me, calling me to be His light-bearer (Matthew 5:14-16). Within the last week, four individuals shared their current sorrow with me, from dying family members to dying dreams, the darkness has been making its way over them and their families. Right before I started this post, I read about an actor who committed suicide a couple of days ago. The darkness should not be taken lightly. But in the beginning, there was darkness and on the first day, God said a Word, “Let there be light.”

We know that Jesus is the incarnate word of God (John 1:14) and through the Word (Jesus) was all things created and formed (John 1:3). When God spoke light into the darkness, He was letting us know what His plans were for mankind-to shoot light into our darkness by means of His Word, Jesus. What is your darkness today? Where is the darkness in your life that needs the True Light (John 1:9)? Pastor Jackie Hill Perry has a wonderful sermon titled “Beholding the Living Word” where she stresses for us to behold (see/observe) Jesus. Where in your life do you need to see Jesus as the light, to restore your hope, make firm your faith and elongate your endurance? Is it a dream? Your future? Your marriage? Your family? Well guess what? There is Hope. Jesus was the means of the created light in the darkness in the beginning, He broke through the darkness of night and was born to a virgin, He shot light into the face of death as He resurrected and He continues to bring light to the darkness of our situations, a light that cannot be extinguished (John 1:5). Seek Him (Jeremiah 29:13), Behold Him (John 1:29) and Love Him (Mark 12:30-31), for the Light of your world has come.

References

Revive Our Hearts. (2025, October 4). Behold the Living Word | Jackie Hill Perry at True Woman ’25. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vGvGhAJBz54

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