Bearing Witness to the Light and Love of Christ
Pastor Pamela Stalheim Lane
The days were getting shorter, darker and harder to bear for my friend, Melanie. She wrote about her experience that Advent. She found that even though she was doing all the things that she usually did in preparation for Christmas, that year she felt like she was just going through the motions. Her heart was not in it. She wanted to celebrate. But she was grieving that year – grieving the loss of hopes and dreams, the loss of the future that she had planned and anticipated. It was hard to celebrate. Perhaps you have experienced such a time.
There are times when we don’t always “fit” the season. Maybe it’s a loss of a loved one. Maybe it’s a change or a loss of hopes and dreams. But in the midst of a season in which people are singing, “it’s the most wonderful time of the year” it’s hard when it doesn’t feel so wonderful. That was the case for Melanie.
But, she writes, “On the morning of December 13th that year, before the tenuous light of dawn made its way to us, our household woke to singing. It was like a dream—warm and cozy and quiet in bed, and yet...someone was singing just outside our window.” Her four year old ran to the door and called out…. it’s our friends! They are singing and carrying candles!
Melanie and her family threw on bathrobes and welcomed into their home their friends who not only brought gifts of light into the darkness and joyful song into the quiet early morning air. They also brought gifts of love and laughter as they shared their tradition of celebrating Santa Lucia day by sharing a feast with their neighbors and telling the story of their Santa Lucia traditions. Melanie recalls, “It was a such a gift that Advent—light and joy and love during a difficult time.”1
It was a difficult time for many people when Caesar ordered a census in order to count the people. Apparently, someone decided the best way to do this was to have everyone return to the hometowns of their heritage. But for some, like Joseph and Mary, this meant traveling, probably walking, a long way. This was done so that Caesar could tax them and pay for his soldiers occupying their land.
During this difficult time, God sent a host of angels – the Greek word could be translated as “army” – an army of angels.2 But God did not send this fearsome army to confront the evil of the occupation. Instead,
the angels come singing and bearing light and witness to a Savior, Christ the Lord.
They entrust this amazing message of light, joy and love to shepherds, ordinary working folks, who are on the night watch. There was no plan B. The angel told the shepherds the good news, gave them direction and then this whole army praised God. Apparently, God thought these ordinary shepherds were well equipped to spread the Good News.
And so they were. They had no theological training. They had no speech classes. They could have simply gone back to their hillside and watched their sheep. But after they saw Jesus, they were changed. They told everyone they saw about the baby, who is Jesus our Lord. They shared this message of light, joy and love with everyone – so that others could also be amazed. And someone told this story to Luke so that you would hear the story too.
Receiving the gift of light, joy and love transformed the shepherds. And it made a difference for my friend Melanie too. Her family celebrates Santa Lucia day every year now. And some years they share the gift of this day with someone who they know could use “a little light and gentle joy.”
There are always people who need the gift of light, joy and love.
Amanda Gordon seemed to understand this when she wrote her poem, “The Hill We Climb” for President Biden’s inauguration in 2020. The country was deeply divided over many things and the riot at the capitol just days before accentuated that division. But into this chaotic time, Amanda Gordon leaned into her faith and proclaimed a little light and hope, saying, “For there is always light, if only we’re brave enough to see it, if only we’re brave enough to be it.”3
This is a challenge for us, to be brave. For the light has come. Jesus Christ is the light of the world who came bright light and love and joy into our world and into our lives. So like Amanda Gordon, let us be brave enough to see it and to receive the light of Christ. And then, let us be brave enough to bear witness to the light and to share that light, to be that light for our neighbor.
There are days that are or will be challenging – maybe for you or maybe for a friend, a neighbor, a loved one or a stranger. But regardless of the challenges that come, you and I can bear witness to the light, the light that shines in the darkness, the light that cannot be overcome.
On Christmas Eve, it is our tradition to light candles. The first light comes from the Christ candle and then we share the light. As you light the candle of your neighbor, I invite you to see the light of Christ in their face and to know the love of God which is given for you. For the light has come into the world and the darkness cannot overcome it. So let us rejoice and proclaim God’s love and Christ’s light. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
1 Stewardship of the Light, Melanie Heuiser Hill in Stewardship Leaders Newsletter Issue
# 84 | Dec.14, 2021
2 Amanda Brobst-Renaud, Working Preacher 2018
“stratias (armies, Luke 2:13)”
3 The Hill We Climb, Amanda Gorman https://www.cnbc.com/2021/01/20/amanda-gormans-inaugural-poem-the-hill-we-climb-full-text.html