darkness, a place for, of light
‘We also have the prophetic message as something completely reliable, and you will do well to pay attention to it, as to a light shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts.’ 2nd Peter 1
This time of year ( December in the Western world ) has less daylight than any other time. The sun rises later; fades earlier. And yet, on the 25th of December sunlight begins to lengthen. A number of pagan sun cults (Mithra )celebrated this day as the birth, the renewal of their gods.
There is no mention of the date of Christ’s birth in the Bible. The only clue we have is that Shepherds were in Bethlehem’s fields. This detail places the one on the spring. Yet, we celebrate the 25th of December, the winter. Why?
It seems the Christian Church chose to celebrate the birthday of Jesus on the twenty-fifth of December in order to transfer the devotion of the heathen from the Sun to him who was called the Sun of Righteousness. The church choose to reclaim pagan worship time for Jesus.
But the Lord allows all for a reason. I believe He was pointing to, underscoring the role of darkness in life. Author/ priest Barbara Taylor Branford speaks of darkness as something, “We are supposed to get over it, fix it, purchase something, exercise, do whatever it takes to become less sad,” she says. “Turning in to darkness, instead of away from it, is the cure for a lot of what ails me. Because I have a deep need to be in control of things, to know where I am going, to be sure of my destination, to get there efficiently, to have all the provisions I need, to do it all without help–and you can’t do any of that in the dark… I have learned things in the dark that I could never have learned in the light, things that have saved my life over and over again, so that there is really only one logical conclusion. I need darkness as much as I need light.”
Jesus was borne in a cave, a manger, in darkness. Jesus died, crucified, on a cross. Jesus was resurrected from a tombcave.
He did not run away from soldiers in the garden; He let the unclean and lepers touch him as He touched them. He was not afraid of eating with sinners, tax collectors and Pharisees Even with prostitutes. For a final last meal he broke bread with betrayers. His final supper with betraying friends.
Jesus entered our world, a covered in sin and darkness. Why? As Ecclesiastes 3:11 speaks,
11 ‘He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the human heart; yet no one can fathom what God has done from beginning to end.’
Jesus entered the darkness so we could become beautiful. His love for us is ‘why’ he entered deep darkness. To be with our hearts, hearts of darkness.
Jesus, eternal light in our dark, human hearts.
In darkness, light shines.
Beautiful darkness, beautiful eternal light.
charles osewalt's blog 
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