Advent day 20

This photograph was taken today at 1.15 in the afternoon. The light is almost at its dimmest. The solstice is Monday. Even though it stays really dark for quite a long time after the solstice, a mental change takes place when I know the days are no longer growing shorter. A glimmer of hope erupts within me knowing that now, however slowly, the daylight will grow more prolific each day and I feel that I will survive the dark season once again.
It's profound for me to consider how much the light of day affects my mental outlook. I am reminded yet again that when my life reflects the light of Christ it also affects those around me. If I hover in darkness, it does not help anyone.
Today I wrote a note to a friend of mine who has recently suffered the unexpected loss of her husband. I told her that I would pray that the Prince of Peace would bring a deep comfort to her during this time of grief and loss. I also reminded her that Christ came to bear our sorrows and so she should let him. Easy words, hard actions. But just as the growing light of day helps me to cope with the darkness that envelopes us right now, so too, the hope of Christ's love and comfort pierces our dark emotions and gives us a reason to keep moving forward.
Today was actually a staggeringly beautiful winter day. I was acutely aware of my desire to get out and revel in the dim sunlight. Tonight I am pondering my acute need to revel in the light of Christ. Christmas is soon upon us. I am ready to celebrate the light of Christ once again.

Advent day 4

Light. It has an amazing, ever-changing, dramatic effect on everything it illuminates. The right light makes all the difference in rooms, landscapes, and paintings.
Look at the photographs below. The first two were taken by a friend this afternoon at about 3.00 p.m. It was a beautiful day in Stockholm. The sun shone brightly for the few hours it was out creating an amazing sunset, at 3.15 p.m.

The photograph below was taken last July at about 11.00 p.m. It's hard to imagine that these photographs, both taken at sunset, are taken almost 8 hours apart!

The light in Stockholm is something that always amazes me. The short winter days with so little light cause us to rejoice when the sun comes out for the few hours it's actually above the horizon. Blink and you miss it! The lack of light gnaws at your soul and sometimes hems you in. It's hard to understand the effect of the short day if you've never been here to experience it.
Darkness falls quickly this time of year.
The long summer days dazzle in an entirely different manner.
The beauty and wonder of an almost never ceasing light create a warmth and a comfort that is difficult to understand if you've never experienced it.
Most of us who live in Sweden prefer the season of light over the season of darkness. The only way that most of us endure the long winter is by creating extra light sources in our homes through lamps and candles. The darkness must be pierced or one cannot endure it.
The theology embedded within the Swedish winter is not so hard to understand. The darkness of our lives can only be endured if we allow the light of Christ to pierce it with his love and grace. We all have "summer seasons" in our lives...when the light of Christ is long and lingering and we feel as though we are living in a steady stream of God's grace. But we all have "winter seasons" as well...when the dark spots of our lives appear all too often and come upon us too quickly and we hunger and yearn for an extra dose of Christ's love and grace. The recurring message of Advent is that there is light enough to cover whatever darkness threatens our lives.
The wonderful thing about the light of Christ is that it never ceases to deliver what we need. It does not fade or flicker. It shines brightly against the backdrop of our greatest joy and our deepest sorrow. It covers our best moments and our worst shame.
I love the light in Stockholm...whether it be the short, quick light of our winter days, or the long, lingering, lasting light of summer...but no matter the season, I'm thankful for the light of Christ that blots out my darkness and illuminates the road ahead for me.