Darkness and Light

Right now, we are approaching the shortest day of the year in the Northern Hemisphere, and here in Edmonton that is pretty noticeable. On Monday, the sky was clear and blue, and looking out of my  living room window, I could see the bright sun, hovering due south just above the houses across the street. It was about 12:30 PM, and I knew that the sun was as high as it would get. At this time of year, it skims across the sky quite close to the horizon, rising sleepily shortly before 9 AM  and falling back into slumber a little after 4 PM- a whopping 7 hours of daylight!  Of course, it doesn't feel quite that long.... the sun takes time to come up, and starts showing signs of setting as early as 3:30 so if you blink, or if you work inside all day, you can easily miss it.

I have lived in Edmonton, Alberta for the last 28 1/2 years, but the behaviour of the sun in this northern clime still amazes me. I know it is nothing compared to places much farther north, but compared to where I grew up (Montreal and Vancouver),  it quite astounds me. I remember how strange it felt, back in my early years here,  to leave for work in the dark and return home, feeling as if daylight had never happened.  And, in the summer, I am still surprised by the early morning birdsongs, and the glimmer of light I can see out of my north facing window well after midnight. 

So, I look forward to the winter solstice here. Not because I so enjoy the lack of light but because, as the shortest day of the year approaches, I know that each new day will be just a little bit lighter again, until the darkness of winter is banished and eventually replaced by the long days of summer.  Looking forward to it, watching each day grow a little bit longer, is almost as wonderful as sitting out in the brightness of a late summer evening. This gradual change of seasons also reminds me that there are cosmic changes afoot, too. It seems to be taking a long time,  but one day the  spiritual darkness that so often envelops this world will also be banished by the living Light that lasts forever. (Revelation 22:5)

New Beginnings

Anne Shirley, of Green Gables fame, once said " ... isn't it nice to think that tomorrow is a new day with no mistakes in it yet?" (L.M. Montgomery, Anne of Green Gables)  That is a philosophy I have taken to heart. I love new beginnings! I love new beginnings so much that, like Anne, I look at each day as a new start. Sure, I enjoy the obvious ones throughout the year- New Year's, September, my birthday- but there is something wonderful about opening my eyes each morning,  knowing I can start fresh.

As Christmas approaches, I am reminded of a very particular new beginning, the one we have because of Jesus. Born as a baby, lauded by angels, worshipped by shepherds, sought by wise men, God provided us with a second chance. We celebrate because God loved us enough to reach out to us in this homely and humble way, infusing the everyday with the divine. And we look ahead from the birth of a baby to a sacrifice that would restore not only our relationship with God, but all of creation to its Maker.

Why not let this Christmas season be a new beginning for you? When we turn to Jesus, we can be assured of a fresh start, not only with each new day, but each and every moment. We live a life  renewed, in relationship with God, and nothing is so dark that it can turn Him away from us. He gives us a new beginning that will last forever.

  "For God so loved that world that He gave His one and only Son that whosoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life. "  John 3:16 NIV