January 20th

For over a year, my brother has been dealing with clinical depression.  I have a limited understanding of this mental health issue, but I can tell you that, at times, I have felt frustrated with, powerless over, disheartened by his disease.
 
The readings  at Christmas offered me the image of “people walking in darkness, (seeing) a great light.”  It warms my heart that our tradition does not deny the darkness in the world.  I identified the darkness with the sense of isolation depression brings to my brother, the sadness his depression engenders in our family.  As Christians, we name such darknesses and then add that “light shines in the darkness and the darkness has not overcome it.”
 
While I would hesitate to say I have been a great light, I will attest to the fact that the darkness in my family’s life has not overcome Light.  My brother has been surrounded by love and care, and my family has been surrounded by the goodness of friends, counselors and medical personnel.  The various acts of kindness and grace that I have witnessed remind me of the candles that we carry into the sanctuary at the Easter Vigil.  Together such lights do make a greater light, the Light of Christ.
 
Christmas gives us the image of light, Easter gives us the promise of new life.  May we continue to be a people who are not afraid to walk in darkness, carrying candles of light, joining with others to illuminate a pathway to new life.