Thursday 25th December 2025
Douglas Hamilton
“What has come into being in him was life, and the life was the light of all people. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not overcome it.”
John 1: 4-5
Inextinguishable
This is a light that never goes out.
A torch that never needs any new batteries.
A lamp that never needs its bulb replaced,
A candle that never burns down.
The light shines with consistency,
but gets brighter the closer I get to it.
All the light needs to do is be,
and darkness is no more.
The light shines, and never goes out.
Today we complete the Advent journey from darkness into light, but the light has always been there because it never goes out.
On Christmas Day we notice the light a bit more as we celebrate and place the birth of Jesus at the centre of our festival. The light radiates from the manger scene, from the angelic glory, and from the star that announces his birth. We cannot miss the light on Christmas Day, and the good news is that it never stops shining.
The light never goes out, which means that it is there all year round – in both the dark days and the bright days. However, sometimes we forget that the light is there or we find ourselves too far away to notice it. There are times when other people or other things put themselves between us and the light. There are other times when everything around us is so bright that we fail to recognise its source.
Today we receive the gift of the light of the world. No unwrapping is required and no batteries are needed. It is a gift that is for all people for all time. It has been there since the beginning and will shine eternally.
May the light of Jesus shine brightly on you – and through you – this day.
Merry Christmas!
Shall we pray?:
Father God, we thank you for the gift of your son, Jesus Christ, the Light of the world. We pray that today his light may shine upon us and through us, as we celebrate the birth of our Lord and Saviour. Illuminate the darkness within us and around us. Thank you for the light that never goes out. Amen.
Douglas Hamilton in minister of the Parish of Traprain.