This is the season we celebrate Christmas. The shopping has begun. The countdown of days left to make purchases is underway. Jewelry commercials are dominating the airways. People are passing by the Salvation Army bell ringers as they go in and out of the mall looking for just the right gift. It’s Christmas!

This is the time of year when we decorate with lights, greenery, and all the symbols of the season. We sing carols. We greet the people we pass with tidings of good cheer, “Merry Christmas!” We rejoice in the most wonderful time of the year, the happiest season of all. It’s Christmas!

This is also the time of shadows, deep and dark shadows. The sun is becoming increasingly short-lived in our sky. When the storm clouds come, one wintry front on top of another, we wonder if it is ever g…