December 21, in the northern hemisphere where I and almost ninety percent of humanity lives, has the feel of oppression. It’s our darkest day. And similar numbers of people around the world today either feel enslaved or are literally oppressed.

When God created humans in His image to reflect His laws and truths, He subjected us to consequence. By giving us freedom to subjugate ourselves to sin’s power, He exposed us to potentially experiencing suffering, death, darkness and separation from Him. Since Adam, the human track record has been perfect: no- body resists evil’s wooing knock at our heart’s door. We’ve all fallen short of God’s glory and all given ourselves over to the devil’s oppression, his desire for control.

For the first generation of disciples, then, Jesus’ words contained inspiring vitality:

• My truth will set you free …
• I give life abundantly …
• Whoever believes in me has eternal life …
• If you love one another, everyone will know you are my disciples!

It must have seemed to them that humanity would be set free in a generation! But, as we recall Jesus’ birth today, we may feel His words don’t ring with the same hope or validity. At our vantage point in history, while the gospel reaches for the Earth’s ends, oppression has also spread like wildfire—religious, social, economic and ethnic oppression—and it threatens to engulf us. Sure, we still embrace the truths of Jesus’ life, suffering and resurrection, but they can feel distant and less empowering. There’s so much infighting, negative news, intense pain, global unrest, famine and growing war. Oppression.

With Adam, oppression began, and with us, it still expands. Even now as believers, we struggle against weak, dying bodies headed for idiosyncratic destinations of shame. We are oppressed by spiritual darkness. The devil’s delight. And we oppress. We are quick to exploit any power or advantage we have over others.

Can we admit this? Do we see how quickly we would take the place of oppressors, given the chance? Few can resist long. None resists forever. And, sadly, we pass on the malady to the next generation. What darkness!

But therein lies the good news of “O Holy Night,” the night of our dear Saviour’s birth! Jesus’ birth predicts eternity, when night will turn to day, when death is overcome, when the enslaved are freed and all will be transformed (1 Corinthians 15:51)! Oppression will cease. The oppressed, in the blink of an eye, will know their worth. We will all be changed.

It’s beyond imagining, but this is the healing Jesus came to bring humanity. “You yourselves know … how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power. He went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with Him” (Acts 10:37–38, ESV). Anointed with God’s Holy Spirit power, Jesus taught and embodied God’s love, overcame our subjugation and renewed our responsibility and opportunity to love. He extends His reach through us as His Spirit empowers us to do good, fight oppression and love well.

Jesus’ death reflects humanity’s oppression more clearly than any other, yet His resurrection proves that God’s love overcomes. Our hope in that reality fuels us to live and love like Jesus!

Therefore, on this winter solstice, when darkness swaddles the earth, be reminded of this: the Christ child sets you free to love! In the Comforter’s power, we join the loving ranks of peacemakers. And by this, everyone will know that we are His disciples and that Jesus is the Way!