Bringing light to the world

At each stage of mankind’s history there has been darkness caused by natural phenomena or by the misuse of power by humans. In the winter solstice that we now enter in the Northern hemisphere, each culture has evolved its rituals and celebrations to counter the physical darkness and its accompanying psychological darkness. You may celebrate the light that Jesus brought into the world, the holy oil that burned in the reclamation of the ancient temple, the Yule log that shares its warmth, or other ways of marking this time in the earth’s rotation around the sun. Walking the labyrinth shown in this picture and lighting a candle from the flame at its center is yet one more symbolic tradition. Remember that we are not just recipients of the gift of light but also its steward and its sharing hand. Ritual does not displace the hard work that is needed in trying times, but it imbues us with the spirit to do that work. Blessings of this season to you and yours.