December 25, 2025
— Karl Barth · Source: Christmas (Edinburgh: Oliver and Boyd, 1959), on John 1:14
John 3:19 This is the condemnation of mankind: that they did not love the light but loved darkness because their deeds were evil, when the light came into the world.
Christmas is not a celebration of human progress, but rather God's sudden and proactive intervention. The Gospel of John tells us that the light has come, but the problem is not "not being able to see," but "not wanting to see." We often think that darkness is our environment, our times, or others, but we overlook the fact that darkness may also be a safe haven we deliberately preserve. When the light comes, truth and falsehood, obedience and resistance are immediately revealed. Grace does not make people feel comfortable, but compels them to leave the darkness and face their true selves. Beneath the tranquility of Christmas lies a serious question: When the light comes upon me, do I walk towards the light, or turn back to the darkness?
Lord, you did not wait for the world to become better before coming among us; you lit the light when darkness was still thick. I confess that many times it wasn't that I didn't know you, but that I was unwilling to let your light shine into the corners I kept hidden. Forgive me for my lingering attachment to darkness, and grant me the courage to walk towards the light, even if that light reveals my weakness. May your grace not only be comfort in my life but also transformation; may it not only illuminate me but also guide me out of darkness and into living in your truth. In the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.