Light in the Darkness

And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not. – John 1:5 (KJV) 

I’m a fundamentalist about the environment. I turn off lights. I don’t keep the refrigerator door open for long. I recycle and reuse obsessively. I do these things sacramentally. I have no hope whatsoever that they do any good. I’ve read the stories. Recycling is a sham. Electric companies rule. Oil reigns. I am just practicing a quiet form of civil disobedience.   

I waited this long to say what I thought about Christmas lights this year. I loved them. I went to a small town in Dartmouth, Massachusetts, for the best visual meal of the season. Thousands of tiny white lights adorned all the little businesses and the bridge and the tractors. The place shone and shone and sparkled after it shone.  

Many houses had sophisticated displays. One house had turned itself into a gingerbread mansion. Another tree rivaled Rockefeller Center in its size and shine. 

Altogether it was enchanting. I would call it an electrified religious experience. The Light shines in the Darkness and the Darkness does not overcome it. 

We’re not the only people who like to light up the night. Our ancestors built solstice fires all night. They too had celebrations of Light Coming Back. They also knew better than we that insects need darkness, so they didn’t keep their fires burning for days. They knew the meaning of the dark night for animals too. 

The King James Version of John 1:5 tells us that the light shineth in the darkness and the darkness comprehends it not. Neither do I. I also comprehend lighting the night not.  

Prayer
Help me, Shining God of light and lightness, understand what I don’t understand and to keep my moral muscles relaxed as your world goes from night to day and back every 24 hours. Amen.

About the Author
Donna Schaper is a rewired transitional pastor in the UCC and the author most recently of Remove the Pews—first from your theology, then from your building.