Today is approximately the day of the darkest evening, which comes a little before the winter solstice.
I’m waiting in the front room, LED fairy lights in the window with the pre-dawn darkness outside; lights shining in a dark world. I’m waiting for a parcel that was undelivered yesterday when I was out walking. It seems to me that there are some very long and difficult working hours going on at the moment. COVID (and Christmas) has left many people working well into the red zone (not least in the NHS), and many others without jobs. Past economic disturbances have had similar effects. Maybe it’s more economical that way until you realise that the human cost may manifest itself in increased demands on health and social services, social security or whatever fancy name it is given for political reasons….
ISTR a song that ran “Someone’s working on the night shift…”, though I can’t track it down at the moment. Almost all of my life at the moment takes place in the day, but I do remember some nights from the past – a long conversation that lasted until the milkman clinked round the streets; walking round the grating-galleries of a power station between the instrument hut and the toilet, feeling as if I had the place to myself; singing daft songs to a sick baby daughter…
A lot of work now takes place outside the nine to five, five days a week. And it’s hard work, physically, mentally or emotionally draining. According to Luke, the shepherds came to Jesus at night. Maybe he was born in the night. The Christmas story is full of night-time and stars, and stuff like that. It’s a reminder that Jesus is light for the world, meaning that he shows is the path through life plus way more. No wonder the early Christians adopted the pagan winter festival to celebrate Jesus, light in the darkness.
“Someone’s working on the night shift…” and it’s our God and Creator.
God of love,
we remember with gratitude,
and with concern,
people working in the night,
hospital workers, police, social services,
firefighters, electricity, water, gas workers,
the ‘night-time economy’,
transport, continuous production,
millions more people too,
working in the night.
God strengthen them and give them
good rest.
God we thank you for all that they do.
We thank you for coming into our lives
in Jesus Christ,
light in the darkness.
Please pray for Nigeria