Diwali & Advent, Light in the Darkness

Within our darkest night,
you kindle the fire
that never dies away,
that never dies away.
Within our darkest night,
you kindle the fire
that never dies away,
that never dies away.

                          Taize chorus 

 Happy Diwali! That was the greeting from a member of my Sudbury congregation one Sunday morning years ago. Brenda was, and likely still is, a quirky spirit who on her first Sunday after my arrival walked into the sanctuary with bicycle helmet and tire in hand. This was a congregation of suits and jewelry, not cycling gear. She was an intelligent, inquisitive person, a psychiatric nurse who then studied to become a lawyer and was a key person in starting a meal program from the church (resisted by some of the suit an jewelry folk.) I had no idea what Diwali was and she explained that it was a Hindu festival of light and that she appreciated the theme. As I learned along the way, Diwali uses the theme of light in the darkness to celebrate goodness overcoming evil, kindness over hatred. 

Diwali is another moon-related festival and so it moves around the calendar. Today is the first of the five days of Diwali in 2020 and this year Hindus are adapting as Christians and Jews did with their moon-related festivals of Easter and Passover in the Spring because of the pandemic. In North America the social gatherings are being curtailed and family gatherings will be small, or virtual. Yet Hindus are determined to uphold the themes and values of the festival in spite of and in response to the psychological and spiritual gloom which has resulted from the invisible and potent coronavirus. 

This is important, and as we recognize what the Hindu community is doing I wonder how we will respond as Christians during the season of Advent and into Christmas. In the darkest days of the Northern Hemisphere we will be lighting Advent candles and Christmas lights, even in what is increasingly a secular society. A neighbour who isn't a religious person already has his Christmas lights up and is turning them on in the evening, far earlier than in previous year. We put our lights up as well to take advantage of the mild weather and even though we'll wait a while to put them on we may start earlier as well.

This has me thinking about what we might do in our household through Advent in terms of addressing the ominous darkness of rising numbers of COVID cases and the possibility that Christmas won't be the opportunity for family joy we've taken for granted in the past. Surely we can find ways to affirm Advent Hope, Peace, Joy, and Love as Christ's people, and as we honour the coming of Christ, the Light of the World? 

This little light of mine
I'm gonna let it shine
This little light of mine
I'm gonna let it shine
This little light of mine
I'm gonna let it shine
Let it shine, let it shine, let it shine