December is my favorite month, and this year it’s extra special. I’m celebrating my 40th birthday and the completion of my final manuscript. Just a few more months and Sacred Balance will be in your hands!
December is also a season of holidays. As the days grow shorter and the nights grow longer here in the Northern hemisphere, we surround ourselves with reminders of light. Candles burn brightly and strings of lights twinkle in defiance of the cold and dark. I’ve been reflecting on why so many traditions have festivals of light at this time of year. They are fun and cozy, of course, but they also seem like an act of protest. We refuse to let the long cold nights have the last word. Wrapping our houses and trees with hundreds of tiny lights can’t replace the warmth of the sun, but it can remind us that the sun will return. Our celebrations express faith that things can and will get better.
In the Christian tradition of Advent, lights point us to the arrival of Christ. We illuminate candles progressively, one for each of the four weeks leading up to Christmas Day, when we light a final candle symbolizing the Light of the World. The flames mark our progress toward Christmas, but they also mark our hope for the future. Jesus promised to return, renewing the world with justice and peace. Our Advent celebrations aren’t meant to distract us from the harsh realities of the world, but rather to inspire us to work for change. The beauty of our festive lights reflects the beauty of God’s promised kin-dom.
There’s a quote often attributed to Archbishop Desmond Tutu (though I was unable track down the original source) which says, “Hope is being able to see that there is light despite all the darkness.” It’s easy to brush past the implications of this statement. It suggests that hope requires us to acknowledge fully the things that are wrong. Hope is not a form of denial. It’s more powerful because it takes seriously the ways that our lives and our world are broken. A string of tiny lights on a sunny day in July doesn’t make much of an impact, but during the long nights of December we relish each little twinkle. Likewise, hope is most valuable in the midst of our sadness, fear, and frustration.
In this season of lights, I want to share a practice to help you reflect on hope in the face of darkness. You can use the Candle Meditation below as an act of faith that the long cold nights aren’t the end of the story. Let the light represent your hope. Let it guide you towards God’s goodness even as you acknowledge darkness and pain.
Candle Meditation
For this simple practice you can use a real flame, an electric candle, or even your favorite holiday lights (as long as they’re not too bright to look at directly). Find a quiet space where you can sit for 5-10 minutes. Bring your candle or other light, but don’t light it immediately. Turn off other sources of light so you can experience the darkness for a few moments.
Take a deep breath and settle into your body. Set your intention for spending this time in prayerful meditation.
Observe the darkness around you. Notice any thoughts and emotions that arise. Reflect on your experience of darkness. How do you typically respond to it?
When you feel ready, light your candle or turn on your light. Allow your attention to focus softly on the flame and the brightness of the light. Notice your response to the light, observing any thoughts and feelings that arise.
After a few minutes, broaden your awareness to notice the space around you. What do you observe? How does the light from your candle change the space?
Close your time of prayer with gratitude. Thank God for the sources of light, warmth, hope, and joy that carry you through the times of cold and darkness.
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