Advent: Christ Candle

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"In him was life, and the life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it."

John 1:4-5, ESV

When Squirrel and I go running before work (my work/his life of leisure), I make sure we are both wearing some sort of reflective gear. I have an LED vest; he has an LED collar. It's dark in the morning, especially this time of year so close to the winter solstice, and I want to make sure that we can be well seen by the traffic.

If you stop and think about the size of the neighborhoods I'm running through - east to west, icy pavement to the night sky - my vest and Squirrel's collar are so tiny as to be completely insignificant. We are combating miles of darkness with inches of light.

Yet, it works. Brilliantly. It's easy to pick out a runner who is properly attired.

That's the thing about light: it takes surprisingly little of it to push back the dark. And when even the smallest light is ignited against a midnight backdrop, it is the tiny, luminescent pinprick that our eyes are drawn to.

Jesus Christ. A squalling, 8lb infant. A tiny town. A poor family.

A world forever changed, and a light the darkness cannot conquer.

So join Squirrel and I in putting on your LED reflective gear this coming 2026. December 25th meant the darkness is on notice. Every day after is our chance to contribute to its demise.

May you all have had a Merry Christmas, and a BRIGHT New Year.

Love,

Squirrel and Meg