In the northern hemisphere, December is the month with the shortest days (that is, days with the least number of daylight hours). Perhaps because of this, many of the religious and cultural events there focus on increasing the light with candles and illuminations.

In today’s world, we can see an expanding dimness as more and more people with increasing worries and fear vote to close themselves off from outsiders. Too often, we naively blame one person or small group for this demise; however, we are all responsible in that we have not appropriately addressed the sufferings of so many people.

By living in the light, with hope and good will, we become agents in reversing the encroaching darkness. Each and every act of kindness, opening up to strangers and the disadvantaged, listening to those who are not heard, and proclamation of hope and faith  makes a crack in the falling curtain which keeps out the light. With enough of us committed to such actions, the individual rays of light will become a flood and return our world towards more glorious days.

Now is the time to stop blaming others and take charge by doing good to yourself and others, helping to move the world towards a more hopeful future. We can make it happen.