The Longest Night

Christmas is a time of singing our favorite Christmas hymns, baking cookies, and spending time with family and friends. Yet Christmas can also be a bittersweet reminder of memories of loved ones no longer with us. That is why some churches try to reach out and hold special services specifically for those who are hurting.


Today, December 21, is the longest night of the year. Many churches choose this day to hold the service because it symbolizes the darkness that people feel as they go through the holidays without that loved one. Yet the church offers hope and the promise that Jesus' light can break through the darkness and give comfort.


Do you know a neighbor or coworker who is feeling down this Christmas? Perhaps you could locate one of these church services and offer to accompany them to it. Even if they are not comfortable with a church setting, you can be the church to them, by dropping a nice card acknowledging their loss, or setting aside a few moments to visit with them.


The church should be on the look-out for those who are hurting, and validate their feelings while offering hope. In that way, the person does not feel like they are in a "stained glass masquerade" (as the Casting Crowns song calls it). People should not feel as if they have to put on a happy face to enter our churches, our homes, and our lives. Part of being a Christian is mourning alongside of them, while helping them to to see that our Lord and Savior will never leave us even in our darkest times.