It’s So Dark!
The winter solstice is on 21 December
by Brian Radcliffe
Suitable for Whole School (Pri)
Aims
To consider the importance of light at Christmas.
Preparation and materials
- The Bible passage John 1.1-5 doesn’t have the Christmas story, but instead outlines the transition from darkness to light. You may wish to ask a child to read this passage. It is available at: https://tinyurl.com/4mu9j4k4
Assembly
- Ask the children if they like the dark.
Listen to a range of responses.
Point out that the days have been getting shorter, so it sometimes seems like we set off to school in the dark and then go home in the dark! On Saturday 21 December, it will be the winter solstice, which is the darkest day of the year. It’s the day when there is the least amount of daylight, and it’s the longest night of the year. We shall really be in the depths of winter. - Darkness can have various effects on people. Some people feel afraid in the dark, and others feel sad and lonely. If it’s very dark, we can’t see where we’re going, and we might fall over! For some people, the darkest days of winter are difficult to get through - they long for the brighter weather.
- Sometimes, it feels like we need a bright light to cheer us up! For this reason, many centuries ago, the Christian Church decided that Christmas Day should occur shortly after the winter solstice. It’s nothing to do with exactly when Jesus was born - we have no idea what date that might have been. It’s because Christmas can shine a clear beam of light into a world of darkness.
- In the Bible, there are four Gospels that tell us about Jesus’ life. Three of these books - by Matthew, Mark and Luke - tell us about Mary, Joseph, the angels, the shepherds and the wise men. It’s here that we learn about the Christmas story.
However, one of the Gospels was written by a man called John, and it doesn’t contain any details about the Christmas story. Instead, John speaks about darkness, and about Jesus being the light that appeared in that darkness. John describes God sending a light into the darkness, a light that can never be put out. That’s a good way to look at Jesus, because Christians believe that he came into our world to bring light in so many ways.
Time for reflection
Christians believe that Jesus is like a torch that shows us the way ahead when we have difficult decisions to make. He can take away the doubt and depression of darkness, and lead us into hope and peace.
John’s picture of Jesus is very different from the tiny baby in the Christmas cradle, but maybe, on the darkest day of the year, it’s a more useful image.
John’s Gospel begins with the words, ‘In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.’
Ask the children what part lights will play in their Christmas festivities.
- Will there be lights on their Christmas tree?
- Will they hang strings of lights on the outside of their house?
Out in the community, shopping streets are festooned with extra lights, and there may even be a huge, lit tree in the town square. All of this helps to chase away the gloom of midwinter.
All of these lights are on the outside, but sometimes, people feel like it is dark inside them. Encourage the children to speak to someone if they are feeling sad, or if they feel like they have a problem that won’t go away. Explain who they can talk to in school, and encourage them to be brave enough to ask for help.
Encourage the children to make the most of the Christmas holidays, and have a lovely, happy time with family and friends. Also remind them that Jesus came to bring hope, healing, justice and safety, even when things go wrong in our lives. He came to be the light in the darkness.
Song/music
‘Light of the world’ by Lauren Daigle, available at: https://youtu.be/_cLhaZIBSpo (4.09 minutes long)
