Wars, mass shootings, oppressive regimes, and violence in all its forms has darkened humanity since Cain killed Abel. Today’s account of the killing of the holy innocents, those boys two years and under at the command of King Herod, is yet another account of the lack of respect for the dignity of humanity.
Instead of coming to adore the Christ child like the Magi, Herod gives in to the darkness of his soul. His fear of losing his leadership even to an infant led to the atrocities he commanded in his rage when the wisemen did not reveal Jesus’ location.
Why would we be reading this account during these days of Christmas? Because it is part of Jesus’ history. As Joseph was led in a dream by an angel to change his mind about divorcing Mary, he was again guided to escape to Egypt before Herod’s terror began.
Also, Jesus, who is the light that came into the world reveals the darkness and fallen nature of our humanity so that we can see the good that God has intended from the beginning. All that God made is good. “God is light, and in him there is no darkness at all” (I John 1:5).
Sin is not a thing, it is a deprivation, a corruption of the good that God has created. The Son, present when all was, is, and continues to be created, entered time and space through his birth. Jesus is the “light of the human race” (John 1:4).
Sin is a rejection of the light that has always been the foundation of humanity and all of creation. This Christmas, as with each Christmas from the first, we are given a choice to say, “No” or to say, “Yes” to the light that has come into the world. This light is no impersonal, energy force but the divine Son, the second Person of the Trinity, who took on flesh and became human like us and dwelt among us.
The way we overcome the darkness in our world is to do the opposite of Herod and surrender ourselves to the Christ child and allow him to shine his light into our darkness. In this way, we may better discern between darkness and light, lies and truth, receive better clarity and strength to resist temptations, and shore up areas of our weaknesses.
When we struggle or feel weighed down from any darkness of the world, personal challenges without, and/or darkness within, we need to remember that the light of Christ who has come into our world is still present in our lives. The enemy: the devil or anything or anyone who seeks to isolate, tempt, keep us in the shadows, and lead us away from God, seeks to tempt us to reject the light.
A truth we need to hold onto is that the enemy is weak, the temptations are not the truth, they are only apparent goods, and the lies have no substance. They only gain strength when we ascent to them. When we choose the light, we will be freed from the darkness, for “the light shines in the darkness and the darkness has not overcome it.” The place we want to remain is in God’s love and light. For “God is light, and in him there is no darkness at all.”
Jesus invites us to breathe, rest, receive, abide, and remain in God’s love and light, for “Where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.” Anytime we notice any slight anxiety or reaction, we just need to breathe and trust in Jesus. The Spirit of the Lord is with us and reminding us that we free from the enemy that seeks to bind us!
Photo: Tabernacle at St. Mary Catholic Church, Windsor Locks, CT.
Spiritual Stepping Stones 