If I say, “Surely the darkness will cover me,
and the light around me turn to night,”
Darkness is not dark to you;
the night is as bright as the day;
darkness and light to you are both alike.
Psalm 139:10-11

The power outage is dramatic, but not a complete surprise as the winds have been fierce and unrelenting all afternoon. The sudden darkness is startling; the house was fully lit, including the Christmas tree. We all take a breath, and then we adapt.

At first, I think that the only candles we have at hand are those on the Advent wreath. I chide myself a bit for not being more prepared for such a time, and then I remember the LED candles in the windows. A different solution for a different era.

Our evening plans change. The movie we were preparing to watch is replaced with mandolin and piano music, and books read by candlelight.

The darkness does not affect the light within our lives, or the love in our home. We are still preparing for Christmas, and the crèche still awaits the baby Jesus. Christ arrives in darkness and in light, in all times and in all places.