Saturday 21 December marks the shortest day of 2024 – the winter solstice. The sun will rise after 8:00 a.m. and set before 4:00 p.m. in Britain. We will experience less than eight hours of daylight. Even as the days begin to lengthen again, it will be three months more before the hours of daylight exceed the hours of darkness. And it usually gets colder before it gets warmer.
Many people find the dark, cold days of winter hard, and in some their despondency is a recognised medical condition. Christmas therefore comes at a welcome time. We’re glad to put pretty lights up and have a holiday.
Nevertheless, many people recognise that there’s another darkness that needs to be dispelled – a moral, spiritual darkness. They are not simply shocked and upset by the wicked things people do in the world around them. They see darkness in their own lives, their own thoughts and actions. They don’t think that they can change, and so end up feeling guilty, trapped, and hopeless.
