A Light in the Darkness

What does Christmas mean to you?

I asked a random shopper at the grocery store, Isaiah, and his response was probably not so random: “Tradition, family gatherings, faith, giving, a time to reminisce over the past year, and believing in something greater than ourselves”.

Isaiah grew up in a strict catholic family in Mexico, and left much of that behind after moving to Chicago, in favor of a more general belief and respect for people of all religions. He sees all religions in general as a positive influence in society, as long as they promote tolerance for other beliefs and love for one’s fellow man.

How then to convey the uniqueness of the Gospel and the Christmas story?

I tried to explain that, while Christ is exclusive in that He is THE way, truth, life, and the only way to God, yet He is inclusive in that He is available to all who will trust him; people from every tongue, tribe and nation. All people are made in God’s image and are to be respected as such, but Jesus went a step further, teaching us to love our neighbors as ourselves.

Isaiah did say he sees in Christmas a celebration of a new way forward brought by the birth of Christ, but that hope becomes limited when one sees Jesus as just another of many religious teachers. What makes Christ unique is that he is but one light in a great darkness, like a single candle in a dark room: “The people walking in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of deep darkness a light has dawned.” his namesake wrote in Isaiah 9.

That light can’t be appreciated if one thinks it is but one of many. The good news of a Savior isn’t appreciated if one believes there are many ways to be saved, and its even harder to appreciate if one denies the need to be saved at all.

As Isaiah himself said toward the end of our conversation, the shadows help us appreciate the light. I’m not sure he understood the significance of his own words. We must understand that that shadow is hiding in our own hearts, not just in the world in general. Only then can we truly behold the Light of Christmas in all His glory.