At the Turning of the Year

I've often wondered how different it must feel to celebrate Christmas in a place where December 25th falls in the middle of a beautiful summer.  Barbecues on the beach for Christmas? Instead of chestnuts roasting on an open fire?  (Does anyone do that these days?)  In the grey, dull days of winter a sunshine festive season can feel very tempting.  And yet. ...

 

And yet maybe there's something strangely appropriate about celebrating the birth of Jesus in the midst of deep and dismal days.  

For that's why He came: 

to bring Light to the world, to lift our spirits from all that feels hard and difficult.  He came to bring hope, and healing and new life.  

Our Christmas celebrations in the UK coincide with the winter solstice, the tilt of the earth's axis which gives us the longest night of the year.  As the earth continues on its orbit and this moment passes, the darkest days of winter are quite literally behind us.  Brighter days are coming.  What a beautiful metaphor for the birth of the baby at Bethlehem. 

However hard circumstances have been and continue to be for you  ...  

Happy New Year!