Toward the Light

Midnight will not be clear this Christmas Eve. The cold and blustery weather has subdued the spirits of the holiday crowds, which, despite the early reports from retailers, do not seem to be as sizeable as in years past. We are reminded that shifting tectonics, as well as terrorism, can upend our lives suddenly, and worries over the flu and mad-cow disease add to the anxiety.

Nevertheless, we can see light at the end of a distant tunnel. There are many international troublespots, but the capture of Saddam and the concessions by the Libyan dictator are signs that we may be headed in the right direction. The economy and stock market are going up, and some of my friends have landed jobs. But even these worldly concerns, important as they are, pale beside the message of the season, that 2000 years ago the Light came into the world and overcame the shadow of Death. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it. [John 1:5]



From Chinatown, halfway up Nob Hill,



it's a short walk through the Stockton Street tunnel to the light




of Union Square.