Here Comes the Sun: Reflections on the Yuletide

It’s a comforting thought that in just a few more weeks, the darkest days of the year will be behind us.

2016 has been a long, strange year — full of darkness and light. Of course, any year in human history can look this way, and truly, there have been darker times. The difference lies in the collective awareness we can now experience through the glory and horrors of the Internet.

Each year, I look forward to the Winter Solstice as a reminder that the season of winter is not just a time of frigid dormancy; it is the season when the light grows stronger and stronger. The birth of the sun (or of the son, as Christians view it) comes to us just when we need it most — when the weather grows more bitter and the landscape stark. Yule time is when we say to ourselves, “Let’s face it, winter is here…but don’t forget that spring is coming!”

And after this past month, the spring of humanity seems far off, indeed.

But you know what? The cold is invigorating. It reminds us all that we must move quickly and steadily and never give up against darkness. Whether you’re looking at tragedies in your own life or the state of your country or your faith in humanity, remember — the cold is here to stop you, but it won’t if you keep going. The winter of your life is here to freeze you up, but it won’t if you find shelter. The darkness is here to blind you, but it won’t if you look to the stars for direction.

The water protectors in North Dakota protesting the Dakota Access pipeline are demonstrating the power of stoking the fire of the human spirit during this darkening time of year. This peaceful protest personifies the feelings of many who are looking for steady, unswerving hope in a time of collective winter.

So where do we begin in our own lives? Look to the light in yourself and in your life. Look to your principles; remind yourself where you stand so that winter doesn’t unsteady you.

Each year I look to the seasons — to the sun and moon, to the messages of nature — and this year I am drawing deeper on my faith in humanity. Today, we joined a unitarian universalist congregation, and this holiday season, I’m looking to our seven principles:

• 1st Principle: The inherent worth and dignity of every person;
• 2nd Principle: Justice, equity and compassion in human relations;
• 3rd Principle: Acceptance of one another and encouragement to spiritual growth in our congregations;
• 4th Principle: A free and responsible search for truth and meaning;
• 5th Principle: The right of conscience and the use of the democratic process within our congregations and in society at large;
• 6th Principle: The goal of world community with peace, liberty, and justice for all;
• 7th Principle: Respect for the interdependent web of all existence of which we are a part.

Happy Holidays! Come together, light your hearths, and remember — spring is on the way!

“Here comes the sun, and I say — it’s all right.” — The Beatles