In her provincial Christmas message, The Archbishop of Wales, The Most Revd Cherry Vann said:

In the gospel according to St John, we read of Jesus being described as the light. Jesus claims the title for himself when he says, ‘I am the light of the world.’

But right from the earliest verses of that gospel, in that wonderful reading that is the climax of our Carol Services, John talks about the birth of Jesus as being ‘the true light which was…coming into the world.’

This light is the light of God’s love which came to us most fully in the person of Jesus; in the baby whose birth we celebrate at Christmas. We’re told that this light ‘shines in the darkness and the darkness did not overcome it.’

The darkness did not overcome it. That is our hope, our joy and our peace. That is the message of Christmas. Because however dark the world around us seems, however hopeless we might think some situations are, that light still shines in the darkness. And even when it flickers and threatens to go out, the darkness will not overcome it.

At Christmas we celebrate Jesus coming as a baby to bring light and life even to the darkest and most desperate situations that we human being find ourselves in. He comes today and every day, to bring glimmers of hope even when all seems hope-less.

And we can join in with the sharing of that light. A smile to a stranger, a kind word in the queue or at the till, a ‘thank you’ to someone who has helped us, all these little things make a difference. They bring light into our world and could be the only glimmer of light and hope that someone might experience that day.

The light shines in the darkness and the darkness did not overcome it. May you know that light in your life this Christmas and may you be that light for others.

Happy Christmas!