Light in Dark Places: A Christmas Reflection
Light in Dark Places: A Christmas Reflection on Hope, Worship, and Leading Change
Shared by Tarran Deane on TarranDeane.com — drawing on a Christmas message preached by Pastor Justin Reid (Hope Church).
Published: 21 December 2025
As we share this Christmas message today, we do so during the season of Chanukah — a reminder that God’s light has always shone in dark places.
Here at TarranDeane.com, I often write about hope, leading change and faith lived out in complex and public spaces. This Christmas reflection draws on a message preached by Pastor Justin Reid of Hope Church, with my own leadership reflections woven throughout with my HopeCommunicated lens.
Recent events in Sydney are abhorrent. At the time of writing 15 innocent lives are cut short through terrorist acts.
Christmas is not a denial of grief. It is God’s answer to it — not with distance, but with presence. In a season where our community has carried real sorrow and shock, we begin with reverence. We acknowledge what has happened, we reject hatred, and we gently turn our hearts again toward Jesus — the Prince of Peace who as Christians we believe to be the fulfillment of the Jewish Prophecies, the Messiah.
Tarran’s Reflection
In leadership and in life, moments of crisis reveal what truly anchors us. In the marketplace, faith is often quiet — but it is never passive. Choosing reverence over reaction, and love over fear, is one of the clearest ways Christ’s light becomes visible in public leadership.
#HopeCommunicated #LightInTheDarkness
A moment of reflection before we begin | Ps. Justin Reid
Before we open the Scriptures, we pause as a church to acknowledge the weight of the moment we are living in.
Our nation is grieving following the Bondi terrorist attack. We hold in prayer the lives lost, the families shattered, the injured, the witnesses, those who intervened and the first responders who ran toward danger with courage and compassion. We acknowledge the fear, sorrow, and confusion that violence brings.
As followers of Jesus, we also speak plainly and lovingly about our solidarity with the Jewish people.
Our faith is not separate from the Jewish story — it is rooted in it.
We worship the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Our Scriptures begin with the Hebrew Scriptures. Jesus Himself was born a Jew, raised in the Jewish faith, taught from the Torah, and fulfilled the promises spoken through Israel’s prophets.
The Messiah we celebrate at Christmas was first promised to Israel — and through Israel, to the world.
So when the Jewish community is targeted by hatred or terror, we do not stand at a distance. We grieve as those connected by covenant history, shared Scripture, and God’s unfolding redemptive plan.
Antisemitism has no place in the heart of Christ or the life of His Church. Violence has no place in the purposes of God. Hatred is never the answer.
Scripture calls us to pray for the peace of Jerusalem (Psalm 122:6).
Image Source: Symphony.org
As we now turn to the Christmas story — the story of promise, fulfilment, and hope — we do so with sober hearts and open hands, trusting again in the Prince of Peace.
Merry Christmas from Hope Church
Scripture readings:
- Isaiah 7:14
- Isaiah 9:2
- Isaiah 9:6–7
- Luke 2:1–20
Theme: The birth of Jesus
The promise foretold
“The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son… and will call him Immanuel (God with us).” — Isaiah 7:14
“The people who walk in darkness will see a great light.” — Isaiah 9:2
“For to us a child is born… and he will be called: Wonderful Counsellor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.” — Isaiah 9:6–7
Christmas begins long before Bethlehem. These are not sentimental lines — they are promises. Promises spoken into darkness, held across generations, and fulfilled in Jesus.
The light was always coming.
Tarran’s Reflection
In seasons of organisational or personal change, distraction rarely looks like rebellion — it looks like overload. What leaders fail to centre, they eventually crowd out. Worship recentres us on what truly matters.
#PersonalLeadership #MarketplaceFaith #LeadingChange
The reason for the season: worship
Matthew tells us the Magi came with one purpose: to worship Him (Matthew 2:2).
When we see the decorations, hear the carols, admire the Christmas trees, and sit down to enjoy wonderful food and celebrations, it is worth pausing to ask: What is the reason for the season?
The answer is simple and profound: to worship Jesus.
Just as the Christmas star pointed the Magi to Jesus, many of the symbols around us can point us back to Him — the star on top of the tree, the baby in the manger, the story told year after year.
The challenge comes when Christmas becomes over-commercialised. We can get caught up in all the extras and miss Jesus at the centre of it all.
A posture of worship and leadership
Worship is not just words. It is posture. Knees bend. Hearts bow. Lives humble themselves before the King.
The coming of the promised Saviour for all mankind — the fulfilment of God’s promise — should lead us to worship, adoration, and thanksgiving.
The light does not draw attention to itself. It rests on Jesus. Everything around Christmas — trees, tinsel, cards, and presents — should point us back to worshipping Him.
“The Son is the radiance of God’s glory… sustaining all things by his powerful word.” — Hebrews 1:3
True worship is being filled with wonder and praise for who God is and what He has done for us.
Tarran’s Reflection
Leadership posture shapes culture the same way worship posture shapes the heart. What we bow to quietly will eventually direct us publicly. Humility is not weakness — it is alignment.
#LeadingChange #ChristianLeadership
The Magi – the Wise Men – and the meaning of worship
The Magi’s worship was more than gifts. It included the promise they held onto, their obedience to follow, the time and effort of the journey, and the humility of their hearts.
They bowed down before Jesus and worshipped Him (Matthew 2:9–11).
Heaven responds and the shepherds return worshipping
At Jesus’ birth, heaven could not stay silent. Angels praised God and declared peace (Luke 2).
The shepherds responded immediately: they went, they saw, and they believed. Then they returned to their fields glorifying and praising God for what they had heard and seen.
Worship is contagious. When people live anchored in faith, hope spreads — not because life is easy, but because God is present.
Tarran’s Reflection
Hope spreads faster than fear when people see it lived authentically. In teams, families, and communities, light does not need a platform — it needs presence.
#HopeCommunicated #LightInTheDarkness
Our call to action: faith in everyday leadership
So what does this mean for us as people of faith?
- Worship Jesus — intentionally. Not just in song, but in focus, gratitude, and surrender.
- Offer your whole life as worship. Your ordinary, everyday life — sleeping, eating, working, resting — placed before God.
- Carry worship into your coming and going. Like the shepherds, return to your world glorifying God.
- Tell the story. Ask yourself: Who can I point to Jesus this Christmas — around the table, in the shop, over coffee?
- Respond today. In view of God’s mercy, we say again: “Here I am, Lord. My life is Yours.”
This Christmas, may we worship Him, follow Him, and reflect Him — in every place and every moment.
Tarran’s Reflection
Faith that stays contained eventually stagnates. Faith that moves with us into boardrooms, classrooms, kitchens, and conversations becomes worship in motion.
#MarketplaceFaith #HopeCommunicated #LeadingChange
About the author
Tarran Deane is a change management strategist, leadership advisor, and writer behind TarranDeane.com and HopeCommunicated. A committed Christian, Tarran works across diverse industries with leaders navigating complexity, transformation, and uncertainty, helping them lead change with clarity, courage, and hope.
Seek to learn more about the Christian Faith?
-
-
- Download the YouVersion Bible App today
- Download the free “Giving Your Faith Away” free resource by Tarran Deane
- Connect with Hope Church Australia and Follow on Facebook
-