Talk Christmas Day 2025 St Nicolas Cranleigh

Lord Jesus, you are the light of the World, as we celebrate your birth, give your light to each of us today. Amen.

Not to be a killjoy today, but… Can we just imagine for a moment what our life, our December would look like, without Christmas?

I imagine it might be quite gloomy. Days are short, nights are long, weather is either cold or dreary, flus are going round, our mood is going down, our heating bills are going up, and even our garden becomes a little bit depressing at this time of year.

Some of you will be aware that I’ve just been describing January!

Of course, we might find or make up some sort of alternative for Christmas to keep us going. This is what our pagan ancestors did, festivals of light, fire, and feasting as nature passed the point of the longest night and the days became longer again.  

But of course, the question with that is, we might be able to put on a light, but will it stay on? Will it survive the storms and difficult things in our life?

It is the challenge all of us face during our lives. Are the things we use for light, meaning and purpose strong enough to keep us going also when things get really tough? 

Christmas, our readings this morning, and especially our last reading from the Gospel of John, are telling us about the Christ-Child who is God come into the world, and who is a Light that will give us meaning, and purpose, and that will keep us going.

And in our reading, we learn four different things about the Light that is Jesus Christ, God in human flesh.

The first one is that the light shines in the darkness and that the darkness did not overcome it. The Light of Jesus Christ is a light that is stronger than all darkness. That will never be put out, no matter what darkness it faces.

The second one is that the light is there for everyone. Jesus was the life and the light of all people. He was the true light who gives light to everyone. God came into the world to give light to every human being he had made.

Because God made us and loves us, he is longing for all of us to accept His light into our lives. None of us are too far away, have done too many bad things – the darkness will not overcome the Light, and that applies to each of us.

And also, the light is there for everyone, so we are to share it with others.

Third. While the light is for everyone, it is not accepted by everyone. The world did not know him. His own people did not accept him.

There will be people who reject the light. We, as human beings, have our free choice, and we can open ourselves up to the light, or we can choose to shut the light out. 

On small things, I always feel like this is such a temptation.

When we’ve made a mistake, do we acknowledge it, do we own up to it, do we bring it in the light, or do we prefer to hide it away?

So, we’ve got: A light stronger than any darkness, a light for everyone, but it’s up to us if we accept that light.

And the fourth and final one. If we accept this light, it changes everything. If we accept the light of Christmas, the light of the Christ-Child into our lives, we become children of God. We become people in a new and different, but intimate relationship with the God who made us.

It means God comes to be with us. As the carol sings, the Christ-Child is born in us today!

Back to the questions at the beginning, can we imagine a December without Christmas. Can we now imagine a life in which every day is Christmas?

Because that’s how the story of the Christ-Child continues. Because it was Christmas one day, every day can become Christmas. Because Jesus grew up. He became a toddler, a youth, an adolescent, an adult. And every stage of human life he shows what Christmas every day looks like for us. What does it look like to live fully with God in every stage and every day of our life? If God is part of everything we do. We can see that in Jesus.

Every time we are the first to say sorry, it becomes Christmas. Every time we choose to not be offended but reach out to that difficult family member, it becomes Christmas. Every time we decide to give our time or money to help someone else, it becomes Christmas. Every time we make our life less about ourselves and more about loving and serving God and others, it becomes Christmas.

Even if it’s mid-August, 30 degrees, and you are just firing up the BBQ. It becomes Christmas every time you allow the Christ-Child and His Light into our lives.

So don’t get rid of your Christmas trees and lights after today, keep it going as long as you can into January, as a reminder to keep celebrating Christmas every day. To keep bringing Christ’s light in your life, and share it with others. Here at St Nicolas we keep on celebrating Christmas and reflecting on what it means that God became man all the way till the 2^nd of February. 

I would love to still see some, by that time probably rather sad looking Christmas trees, in April.

Every day Christmas. Every day letting our lives be lit up by the Christ-Child and his Light, and sharing this Light with others. Through our love and service, in this village and beyond, with all who we meet.

May it be so for us this Christmas, and the rest of the year.  

Amen.