This is a season for joy, good cheer and celebrations.
Yet, not all people feel jolly around the holiday season.
For someone who has experienced a recent loss of a loved one, a divorce or separation, illness or the loss of a job can bring stress, anxiety and depression.
If you are hurting, the last thing you may want to do is sing carols.
It took me years to get out of feeling dread during the holidays. It seemed to me like more deaths occurred around the end of the year. This is not the case, but when a loved one dies during the holidays it casts a pall over the family gatherings.
Poet Christina Rossetti described this time as “the bleak midwinter.” Bleak is how we can feel as the days grow colder, the nights grow longer and the sadness sets in.
This year, the shortest day and the longest night will occur on Dec. 21. We will have just eight hours and 46 minutes of daylight. The earth’s poles are titled the farthest away from the Sun. This is called the Winter Solstice.
More and more, churches and community organizations – such as HOSPICE in the United States – have a service on this day to help people who are struggling and living with grief and loss. The tradition began around 1990.
Some call it a service of Blue Christmas. Blue as in, ”I’m feeling down and blue.” Elvis sang, “Blue Christmas” about a lonely man spending Christmas all by himself.
The other name for the service is “The Longest Night Service.” The service is a time to recognize sadness and pain, and look for the healing and hope that comes from a Savior.
Dec. 21 is also the feast day for Saint Thomas the Apostle. Thomas was a man of courage, yet he struggled to believe in the resurrection of Jesus. His unbelief turned to belief when the resurrected Christ stood before him and said, “Do not doubt but believe.”
People of faith can still struggle with doubts. Doubts are part of growing in faith. Yet, doubt can cause us to search more deeply about our faith and our relationship with God. Doubts can lead us to a better understanding of God’s will for ourselves and those around us.
Along with scripture readings, hymns and prayers, the lighting of candles for self, others or in memory of loved ones is part of the service. Lighting of candles with prayers spoken or silently is a tradition in Christianity Scriptures used for the service are Isaiah 40:1-5, Psalm 22 and others that identify with suffering Jesus went through for our sake.
If sadness sets in this holiday time, take care of yourself. Know you are not alone and while the night will be long, a star is rising high in the sky leading us to the one who brings hope.
“God of mercy, hear our prayer for those who live with the struggles of illness and the pain of loss. We ask for strength for today, courage for tomorrow, and peace for the past. We ask these things in the name of Christ, who shares our life in joy and sorrow, death and new birth, despair and promise. Amen” (Jean Given).
Eric Reece is the faith columnist for The Graham Star. He is pastor of Robbinsville United Methodist Church and can be reached via email, ereece@wnccumc.net.