“Hope begins in the dead of night.” —Anne Lamott

It’s no coincidence that Christmas follows instantly after winter solstice, the darkest day of the yr. Most historians agree the start of Jesus was not in December, extra seemingly in April when shepherds usually tended their sheep within the fields of Bethlehem. The church began celebrating Jesus’ start on Dec. 25 a couple of centuries after Christ. Maybe they did this as an intentional message of hope within the darkest days of the yr.