Light in the Darkness

We can be a light to others

by Claire Law

Suitable for Whole School (Sec)

Aims

To use the winter solstice to reflect on the symbolism of darkness and light.

Preparation and materials

• You will need the PowerPoint slides that accompany this assembly (Light in the Darkness) and the means to display them.

Assembly

1. Show Slide 1 and welcome the students to the assembly.
   
   Do you know which day of the year is the shortest day?
   
   Listen to a range of responses.
   
   
2. The correct answer to this question depends on where in the world we are. If we were in the southern hemisphere, we would need to wait until June for the shortest day of the year.
   
   However, for those of us in the northern hemisphere, the shortest day of the year falls on 21 December. This is the date when the North Pole reaches its maximum tilt away from the sun, causing the shortest day and the longest night of the year. It is known as the winter, or hibernal, solstice. As we approach it now, we have probably noticed how early the nights have drawn in. In fact, darkness will probably descend well before many of us get home tonight!
   
   
3. Show Slide 2.
   
   With that in mind, let’s consider the themes of darkness and light. Darkness can feel frightening: many of us may recall being scared of the dark as a young child. Perhaps we are still wary of it now. In the dark, we can’t see as well; our eyesight is dependent on light. In the dark, we can easily stumble or hurt ourselves. We can’t see danger ahead, or a safe way forward.
   
   
4. We often use the word ‘dark’ when we talk about emotional states. We speak about someone being in a dark place as a metaphor to explain that they feel hopeless and sad. Someone may talk about feeling as if they are under a dark cloud as a way of telling others that they are experiencing low mood.
   
   
5. Movies also use darkness as a symbol: think of the Star Wars films, and how evil is represented by the dark side of the Force. Likewise, when we chat with friends about certain films, we might describe them as having a dark plot.
   
   
6. Show Slide 3.
   
   The dark can be used for evil in real life too. During the Holocaust, darkness was used as a cruel form of punishment. In Block 11 of Auschwitz concentration camp, there was a type of solitary confinement cell called a dark cell, where prisoners were kept in total darkness for weeks at a time. Instead of windows, the dark cells had vents that were covered on the outside by metal screens that had air holes punched in them. Prisoners were left disorientated and isolated, a horrific form of torture.
   
   
7. Show Slide 4.
   
   As humans, we seek to find light in darkness. We look for hope in difficulty. Being able to see a glimmer of light in a dark, difficult situation can help us to remain resilient.
   
   
8. The idea of looking for light in the darkness helps us to understand the significance of various light-based festivals from different cultures that occur around the time of the winter solstice. The Hindu festival of Diwali and the Jewish festival of Hanukkah are two religious festivals that occur in the winter months, and both have a focus on light.
   
   
9. Show Slide 5.
   
   There is also the Christian festival of St Lucia, a festival of lights that is celebrated in Scandinavia around the time of the winter solstice. The day honours St Lucia, a Christian who was killed for her faith in Jesus.
   
   She is said to have risked her life by bringing food to Christians who were forced to hide because the Romans were persecuting them. Legend has it that, in order to keep her hands free to carry as much food as possible, Lucia wore a candle-lit wreath on her head to light her way.
   
   In Scandinavian countries, St Lucia’s Day is celebrated by children dressing up in white gowns and wearing lighted wreaths on their heads. They celebrate that St Lucia was willing to bring hope to people who were suffering, to bring light into their darkness.
   
   
10. We don’t have to go far at this time of year to see Christmas trees adorned with strings of fairy lights. They are a symbolic reminder that, even in the darkness of winter, there is light.
    
    
11. It’s important to look for the light in the darkness, and find ways to create light.
    
    Next, we are going to hear how two people found their own ways to create light and hope in the horror and darkness of Auschwitz.
    
    
12. Show Slide 6.
    
    Maximilian Kolbe was a Polish Catholic priest who was imprisoned in Auschwitz. One day, a prisoner escaped from the camp, and the camp commandant ordered that ten men should be starved to death in an underground bunker in retribution. One of the ten was a young man who was distraught at the thought of leaving his young family. Kolbe stepped forward and offered to take his place, which the commandant accepted. Even during the bleakest of times in the dark underground starvation chamber, Kolbe prayed for his fellow inmates, doing whatever he could to bring light and hope to others.
    
    
13. Show Slide 7.
    
    Viktor Frankl was an Austrian Jew who was born in 1905. In 1942, he and his family were sent to Theresienstadt concentration camp. In total, Frankl spent three years in four different camps, including Auschwitz. Yet the darkness of these camps never quenched Frankl’s sense of hope.
    
    Frankl was a qualified psychiatrist and he wanted to use his medical training to help others in the camps. He managed to hold onto light in the midst of darkness. Frankl believed that a glimmer of hope always remained, as long as he continued to choose a mindset of hope and help.
    
    In the concentration camps, Frankl focussed on helping others, caring for fellow prisoners and attending to their needs whenever he could. On one occasion, he had the chance to escape, but chose to stay in the camp so that he could continue to help others. He survived the Holocaust and went on to write Man’s Search for Meaning, an international bestseller about his experiences.
    
    Show Slide 8.
    
    In this book, Frankl wrote, ‘Everything can be taken from a man but one thing: the last of the human freedoms - to choose one’s attitude in any given set of circumstances, to choose one’s own way.’
    
    In this way, Frankl found a way to keep a light alive in the darkness.

Time for reflection

Today, in the depths of wintry darkness, let’s reflect on how we can be a light to others, bringing hope to situations that may feel hopeless.

In Matthew’s Gospel, Jesus tells his followers, ‘You are the light of the world.’ (Matthew 5.14)

Let us consider how we can be a light in our world today.

As we bow our heads, let’s think quietly about someone who may be having a difficult time today.

What can we say, or do, to help them find light in their darkness?

Pause to allow time for thought.

Now let’s think about our own lives.

- What feels difficult for us at the moment?
- How can we adopt an attitude of hope, to help guide ourselves out of the darkness?

Pause to allow time for thought.

Lastly, in this moment of quiet, let’s reflect on what each of us can do when we find ourselves needing light in the darkness.

Pause to allow time for thought.

Prayer
Dear God,
In times of darkness, help us to see clearly the way to find hope.
Help us to be lights to others who struggle.
Help us to bring light to others, rather than contributing to their darkness.
Help us to trust that, even in the midst of darkness, the sun will shine again.
Amen.