Helen Martineau's Blog

You could say that light is a major Christmas theme. We see light everywhere at Christmas time – big glittering baubles lining the streets, fairy lights festooning trees and strung across houses, multitudes of candles twinkling like stars. Behind all this light is the story of a certain star. Magi from the east followed this star all the way to Bethlehem in Judea. And there they encountered baby Jesus the Christ child. Light can mean many things. On a significant level for us today it’s a symbol of awakened consciousness – we ‘see the light’ when we understand something. Darkness is unconsciousness; it’s ignorance. And this kind of darkness breeds unthinking prejudice and resentment, surely a serious problem in our world. Light enables us to see beyond limited thinking, to be open and generous. This is the light we need. It’s relevant to us now in a world so full of ill-formed opinion, enmity and strife. Light offers us vision and hope. Christmas glitter and glitz has grown apace with

As another Christmas approaches I feel urged to resolve the question of what to celebrate, and when. Our Australian timing is upside down and back-to-front. Christmas happens in midsummer. And over the years it has developed its own characteristics – barbeques, open-air carols by candlelight and all. For me the timing opens up deep spiritual questions beneath the secular activities. Are we right to change Christmas to June, our midwinter, or not? I delve into answers in my latest website post which you can read by clicking on this link: The light forever shines in the darkness.