+ “Come and shine on those who dwell in darkness and in the shadow of death.”
Yes, Lord; come and shine on us, in us, through us, among us. Let your light — let Christ the light — enlighten our minds and hearts and ways.
On the darkest days of December and the year, we celebrate the light who is Christ being born into humanity to dwell; and only for a short time, to cut through and take away the darkness that so easily can confuse and obscure our vision and hope.
At times, we see the darkest and most hopeless ways of living realized in and around us.
Darkness.
But perhaps the singular most human act was realized on the cross of Christ when he was faced with such inhumanity, such darkness, such hatred and rejection, and so much pain — physical, emotional, social, and spiritual.
And yet the divine words were able to leave the mouth of the one we call the word made flesh as he spoke: “Father, forgive them all. They know not what they do.”
+ Those words saved us from our darkness and from the shadow of death, spiritual death. Those words showed us that we do not have to return hate for hate. Those words showed us that the most inhuman realities do not have to make us into inhuman recipients and responders that give what we got.
It is possible to become people of light, even in darkness. It is possible to love even in the face of hatred. It is possible to live forgiveness so as not to be swallowed up into the darkness and dead end that is revenge.
Jesus showed us the way. Jesus was the light in darkness. Jesus gave us hope and rescued us from hopeless responses and hopeless ways.
+ “Come and shine on those who dwell in darkness and in the shadow of death.”
Father Perry D. Leiker is the 14th pastor of St. Bernard Catholic Church. Reach him at (323) 255-6142. Email Father Perry at perry.leiker@gmail.com. Follow Father Perry on Twitter: @MrDeano76.
