Christmas Eve Homily - 2019

Here we are... on this night of nights.  

It was meant to be that we would be here together, you and I. 

Just for a moment---we get to push away from all of the busyness and forget about all of the things that we've left to do.  

Breathe in this moment.  

There are stories to tell on this night.  Stories of wonder.  Stories of joy and hope for all of the world. 

But the world still feels as though it's marked by darkness doesn't it?  There are things out there in the night that we can't ignore for ever.  And some of them are frightening.  

Still, tonight is for us.  We can stop for a moment, and light a candle rather than curse the darkness.  

Because the darkness doesn't get to win.  Ever.  More on that in a moment.  

I went to the Austin trail of lights with my family and some friends yesterday.  And I  was talking to my friend about this very thing that I'm doing.  She laughed at one point, and said---"I'll help you out... why don't you talk about the trail of lights and how all of these lights shine brightly, and then how we ought to shine our own light, too."  

She seemed like she was completely joking---but there was something underneath the surface of her smile that I caught just a passing glimpse of...  

"We need this story."  Her eyes told me.  "We need to know the darkness doesn't prevail.  We need this story."  

We do need this story, Beloved.  Everyone who is gathered here longs for the world to be better--for the darkness to fade, and the light to shine.  

No matter what you believe, or even if you don't believe---you long for more just like the rest of us.  

And so we have a story---a story of Divine love and grace.  The story of how God became one of us to rescue all of us.  

Which is why we gather.  To push back against the darkness, to light our candles and sing of a miraculous night where the Light of the World came to us--right where we are.  

We need this story.  Hold on to it.  Believe with as much belief as you can muster.  And live in the hope that the Light who came will never let the darkness win.