The Comings of Christ

The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it. It seems rather fitting, that as we approach the winter and the darkest days of the year, we prepare for the coming of Christ. The first coming of Christ was also set in darkness – the darkness of a night in Bethlehem, the darkness of a place which would not accommodate a young pregnant woman, the darkness that ruled over Judea in the form of the tyrant king Herod. Yet it was in this darkness that the light of Christ began to shine – a star rose above Bethlehem, the angels proclaimed God's glory, and the three wise men bowed down to the infant king.

Now, as back then, we still live in a world of darkness. Over the last few months and years we've all heard many worrying stories in the news – stories about nuclear proliferation, financial meltdown, flu pandemics and environmental catastrophe. Some of these predictions might be scaremongering, but then again, there's the real possibility that some of these predictions might come true. It can be tempting to resort to denial or despair, a feeling that whatever we do, it's not going to make much difference. But we must resist such temptations. Such signs are a reminder of our need for conversion; it is worth doing something. With the hope of Christ's coming, we can face reality, see that there is light shining in the darkness, and be confident that the darkness will never overcome it.