In The Last Moments of a Tough Year, A Sign of Hope

Last night for the first time in about 800 years, the Star of Bethlehem was visible in the night sky. If you were lucky enough to see it, you witnessed something truly special. If, like me, you did not witness it live, you at least had the knowledge that it was there, shining brightly in the sky—a beacon of hope.

This is the same beacon of hope that has guided billions of people throughout the world for centuries. Guided them toward so much—salvation, compassion, forgiveness, rebirth, redemption, kindness. But perhaps most of all, it has guided so many toward hope. It seem almost ironic, but still so fitting, that this occurred at the tail end of what for most of us has been a particularly trying year.

Let us not underestimate the meaning of this and the message it holds. Let us not minimize the timing. This came to us now, at a time when most of us truly need it. Take a moment to soak it in and to let it be here with you. It is important, it means something. It is here to remind us that what we are experiencing now is temporary, that we are not alone, and that there are greater forces at work.

Even in the longest, darkest night, there is a light of hope.