by Pam Tinsley

As I walked along the undercroft beneath our church’s nave with its display of preschool books, a title caught my eye. The book’s cover looked like a painter’s palette, with colors in a circle, perfect for a small child to touch. Its title, You are Light^[1], spoke to me of the physical qualities of light – especially as we move through the winter solstice with hours of daylight just beginning to cease their waning.

More significantly, as we moved through Advent to Christmas, the book’s title spoke to me of light’s spiritual qualities: We reflect on the light that was coming into the world at the first Christmas. Since then, the poetic words from John’s Prologue have been whispering to me: The true light, which enlightens everyone, is coming into the world!

I’ve also been reflecting on what Christ’s light means for us today. Too often it feels as though we’re sitting in darkness in the shadow of death. Our country is being torn apart by political divisions, leading to threats of violence and threats to our democracy; wars rage around the globe; and concerns about the impact of climate change on our planet are raised daily.  

Although at times it seems next to impossible to believe that the light breaks through, the Incarnation and the Resurrection assure us that the light – the True Light – has not only broken through but cannot be overpowered by darkness.

Not only that, but we are also part of the ongoing light of Christ that shines in the darkness. The newly baptized are often given a candle, lit from the paschal candle, with the words “receive the light of Christ.”

We, the baptized, continue to bear Christ’s light into our dark and broken world, offering hope through our words and through our actions. We are light. We are Christ’s light in the world. And so, I invite you to reach out to those you know and love and to those you encounter in your daily life with the same love with which God looks upon you. Then you might just cast the light of Christ upon someone who feels as though they live in darkness. Because “You are Light!”

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^[1] Becker, Aaron. You are Light (Somerville: Candlewick Studio, 2019)