Hello, I’m Daniel Westfall on the channel “Pray With Me”.

Where I live, the Christmas season is dark and cold. The lazy sun climbs reluctantly out of bed at 9:00 and returns to its nightly slumber at 4:30, leaving us to endure long, dark, frozen nights. 

Sometimes the sun hides all day behind grey, snow clouds leaving northerners to freeze, while it tans sunbathers in Hawaii and warms surfers in Australia, places I can’t afford. 

The Anglican Book of Common Prayer comments on darkness. One of the prayers says (Collect of the first Sunday of Advent):

Almighty God,
  give us grace to cast away the works of darkness
  and put on the armour of light,
  now in the time of this mortal life
  in which your Son Jesus Christ
  came to us in great humility. . . 

Give us grace to cast away the works of darkness. Like the dark depressions that fog our souls, despair that chokes, persistent temptations to give up. These are the works of darkness that assail me in the dark of  winter. Other works of darkness follow close behind: anger, lust, and greed, lurking in hearts, darkening relationships. 

The prayer advises us to cast off these works of darkness, to put on the armor of light. 

I like that. 

To arm myself with light. As I walk my dog around the neighborhood, Halloween ghosts and graveyards and skeletons are back where they belong, hidden for another year in basements, attics, and garages. Christmas decorations appear. Snowy lawns host Christmas inflatables and herds of wire-frame reindeer, lighted in sparkling white. Windows display bright living room Christmas trees and wrapped presents.

I like lights that shine in darkness. Lights strung on roofs and eavestroughs, lights looping around trees. Rotating lights patterning fences and homes. Light-infused inflatables of Santa and Rudolph and the Grinch. 

All cheerful and Christmassy. Lights that arm themselves and me against the darkness.  

Let’s pray. 

Our father,
  give us grace to cast away the works of darkness
  and put on the armor of light.

Advent Sundays measure four weeks to Christmas. Advent, a time in the darkness of our mortal life to wait and hope for the savior you promised. 

A time to remember the angel choir that filled the sky with light and sang of Jesus’ birth. 

A time to remember him, who came in the darkness of winter and said, “I am the light.” 

Help us to receive your light at Christmas. Help us put on the armor of light. Help us be lights in the dark winter as we wait for spring. Help us to be lights in the world as we wait for your coming again.

Amen

I’m Daniel, on the channel “Pray with Me”.  

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