Blessed are those that mourn for they shall be comforted.  Matthew 5:4

The Longest Night

In the northern hemisphere, December 21^st is the shortest day, the day the sun sets earliest, and the first day of Winter. 

Many churches have taken this opportunity to hold either a “Longest Night” or “Blue Christmas” service, a service of recognition of loss and comfort for those who mourn.  These services are designed to allow anyone who has suffered a loss in the past year to grieve before the Christmas celebration. 

2020, of course, adds a new perspective of loss.  Even if you have not lost a loved one, you are most likely grieving the loss of social contact, the loss of community, the loss of togetherness. 

If you are grieving the loss of a loved one since last Christmas, may God bring you comfort.

If you are grieving the loss of a loved one to Covid, may God bring you comfort.

If you are grieving the loss of “normalcy”, the loss of social contact, the loss of your community, may God bring you comfort.

While December 21^st is the longest night, the light is coming.  We celebrate the light coming into the world and, as the Apostle John said, the darkness did not overcome it.

Although we mourn our various losses, the light will shine once again (and is in fact already shining in the darkness).  We will overcome, we will survive, we will again have life and have it to the fullest.

It is a promise of God.

Peace,

Pastor Bill