Some weeks ago, thanks to RTÉ News, many were able to witness the switching on of the Christmas lights in Dublin’s Grafton Street. It was special because Willow Mae Carroll, aged seven, from Kells, Co Meath, and Cian Byrne, aged 10, from Finglas West, who performed the ceremony, have life-challenging conditions. They were representing the Little Blue Heroes Foundation, a not-for-profit charity voluntarily led by Garda members, retired Garda members and civic-minded people from different communities. The foundation’s mission is to provide practical and financial support to families of children who have serious illnesses. To see these children and, just as importantly, their parents and families, recognised in this way was uplifting.
But the countless Christmas lights that are strung up across the globe at this time each year cannot eliminate the darkness that overshadows the lives of millions suffering in war zones such as Gaza and Ukraine, or living in refugee camps around the world, or indeed families burdened with poverty or grief. There is little solace for such people in decorative lights, sleigh bells and tinsel, yet it is for them that the deepest hope is found in the authentic Christmas message. While the street decorations, the chorus of Christmas carols and seasonal songs in the shops, the office parties and - perhaps most importantly - the family gatherings all contribute to a festive mood that brightens dark winter days for those who can enjoy them, the simple fact is that the birth of Christ doesn’t need any festive trimmings; the meaning of his birth is not affected in any way if those decorations are missing or unseen. Indeed, they could be a distraction.
The presence of God in the world and in human life is often described with reference to light. For example, the early verses of St John’s gospel, often read at Christmas, tell us that, in Jesus, “the true light that enlightens every man was coming into the world”. It’s a powerful image, but the glory of God can also be found in the darkness, according to the poet Henry Vaughan: “There is in God, some say,/ A deep but dazzling darkness, as men here/ Say it is late and dusky, because they/ See not all clear.”
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The psalmist goes further: “Even the darkness is not dark to you (Lord); the night is as bright as the day, for darkness is as light to you.” One of the profoundest conclusions that Christians draw from the festival of Christmas is that God is present even in the darkest moments of our lives - not far away, shouting instructions to us across some cosmic divide, but with us, intimate, caring.
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The gospel account of the nativity says: “You Bethlehem, too small to be among the clans of Judah, from you shall come forth one who is to rule my people, Israel.” Why not somewhere more noteworthy like Jerusalem or one of the great shrines of Israel’s history? Bethlehem is chosen; too small in the eyes of the world, but not for the God who turns up in unexpected places and through unexpected people such as Mary and Joseph. Here is a message for those who feel they are forgotten or, God forbid, not good enough for God to care about them. That’s not how God works. God operates inside littleness (the mustard seed), at the edges with those who struggle and feel unimportant. That’s what people of faith saw in Dublin’s Grafton Street in those two little children, who, supported by the love of their families, did more than light up a street; they lit up lives all over the country with their courage and joyfulness.
“Today, Christmas has become a commercial celebration, whose bright lights hide the mystery of God’s humility, which in turn calls us to humility and simplicity. Let us ask the Lord to help us see through the superficial glitter of this season, and to discover behind it the child in the stable in Bethlehem, so as to find true joy and true light.” - Pope Benedict XVI