Ephesians 1: 3-14                                                                                                       Rev. Dr. Galen E. Russell III

John 1: 6-18                                                                                                                                       January 4, 2026

“He came to what was his own, and his own people did not accept him. But to all who received him, who believed in his name, he gave power to become children of God.”

Prayer: May your light so shine in our hearts, O God, so that we may choose you and be your children, enlightening others. Amen.

 I love Christmas. It’s my favorite time of the year. I love Christmas Eve worship. I love standing in the dark sanctuary staring at the one Christ candle aglow in the Advent wreath. I love inviting every one of us to focus on that one candle. To see its light. To know that amazingly, no matter how deep the darkness, no matter how inky black the night can get, that one light, pierces the darkness.

As a metaphor about God’s love, it’s a pretty spectacular one; perhaps there is none greater. Because God’s love can pierce whatever darkness we may have in our lives.  God’s presence can dispel whatever hopelessness and fear we may experience like the way a drop of good dish detergent can dispel grease in greasy water. Ever see that happen? Drop. Whoosh.

This is the work of God.  God sends the One light into our world so that everyone may have God’s light. The One light is Christ, and everyone, no matter who you are or what you are, or where you are, everyone can have God’s light which dispels darkness. Which means God sent Christ into the world so that God’s wisdom can be incorporated into the wisdom people have. So that God’s insightfulness can be fused into our insights. So that God’s love and grace can be embedded into our ability to love and grace others.

 But it means you and I have to be willing to live as redeemed, forgiven people, with God’s wisdom and insight apart of us, loved and graced by God. We have to want to receive God’s spiritual blessings.

Because I believe that while God sent Christ for the entire world—to the Jew, Muslim, Christian, atheist, agnostic, pagans, tree worshipers, prevaricating politicians, good civic leaders, Christian nationalists, Christian progressives—all of us, and while God makes all these blessings available to everyone, God still gives us the ability to choose to receive these blessings or not. We have to want to choose the light of Christ. On our own, choose God’s light. God will not make this choice for us.

The gospel of John tells us that some chose not to accept God’s gift of Christ. But to those who did, those who did see the light and received it by believing, God makes them children of God. Which means renouncing the ways of darkness and living in the light.

All the Star Wars movies were being run again. And this theme of choosing the Force runs through all the movies, which also implies renouncing the dark side of the Force.  Notably, one of the Storm Troopers from the First Order chooses to defect when he sees the First Order’s brutality. As a trooper he was FN 2187. After he defects, he becomes Finn, a resistance fighter against the First Order who eventually helps restore peace in the galaxy.

 In scripture, Moses chose to renounce being an Egyptian Prince when he sees Pharaoh’s brutality against the Hebrews. And he becomes the great liberator of the Hebrew people taking them out of Egypt’s slavery.

Later Joshua tells the people to choose on this day whom they will serve, inviting them to renounce serving false gods. And Joshua takes the people into the promised land.

Saul had to renounce being the hired assassin commissioned by the high priests to kill any Christians. And he becomes Paul, the greatest missionary spreading true good news that Christ is God’s light come for the world.

Jesus himself asked his disciples “Who do you say that I am?” And Peter answered, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God!” Which means you are the light which God sent into the world.

 And that’s a question for each of us. Who do you say Jesus is? Is he God’s light coming into the world, or not? We get to choose. Is he the Son of God who is close to God’s heart? We get to accept him or reject him in that way. To see him as God’s light, or not.

But whether you choose the light of Christ or not doesn’t nullify God’s work in him. God’s work is still done through Christ. It’s like saying that gravity doesn’t exist. Or believing that the world is flat. Well, it doesn’t matter if you think gravity doesn’t exist, or if you believe that the world is flat. Gravity still exists and the world still is round.

So, not believing doesn’t change anything about God’s work. But by believing, by receiving, by accepting, by seeing the light, our understandings increase. Our faith grows. Our lives have deeper meaning. Hope in God strengthens. And we can live in God’s light even when darkness is all around.

Now that I am “Bapu” to my grandkids, which in Hindi means “revered father,” I get a chance to watch some children’s videos on YouTube and such. And one children’s educator named Ms. Rachel. Ms. Rachel became famous for her YouTube videos, walked the red carpet at Glamour’s 2025 Women of the Year Awards wearing an upcycled dress embroidered with a variety of cartoon images, all based on art from children in Gaza. The drawings ranged from a dove covered in flowers to a young girl hugging a large watermelon. Glamour magazine honored Ms. Rachel for her activism, including her advocacy for children suffering in the Gaza war. She said, “My love and care for children doesn’t stop at my own children, and I don’t think that our love should end at religion or skin color or where people are born” (Harper’s Bazaar, November 5).

Now that’s what I’m talking about. Choosing Christ, seeing Christ as God’s light means knowing that love doesn’t stop where we might stop. It doesn’t end at our own affinities. It does not end at blood relatives. It’s not just for those who do good. Love does not end where we think it should, Because God’s love goes well beyond where we might go.



When we see the light of Christ, and choose it, we become powerhouses as children of God. Powerhouses of God’s healing and grace, God’s love and mercy, God’s forgiveness and kindness. God’s wisdom and insights. And we get glimpses of the glory of God. No one has ever seen God, but when we see God’s light, we become children of God. When we choose God’s love, we become living examples of people aligned with God’s vision for the world. For the new year. For our church. For the way ahead as God’s own people, to the praise of God’s glory. Amen.