Thursday, December 27, 2007

Seasonal Affective Disorder

I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life (John 8:12).

During the months following Christmas, some people become depressed. They have no energy; they eat more than they should; they sleep more than usual but rarely feel properly rested. They are suffering from a condition called Seasonal Affective Disorder.

The problem is lack of sunlight. January and February are the darkest months of the year, with the sun rising late and setting early. Scientists have found that the reduced amount of sunlight affects some people adversely. They lose their zest for life until the longer days of spring and summer return.

Increased exposure to light is the solution to the problem. People struggling with Seasonal Affective Disorder need to let more light into their homes and spend more time outside during daylight; some are also helped by regular exposure to extra-bright fluorescent lights. More time in the light tends to banish their depression.

This is even more true of our souls. Just like our bodies, our souls need light; without it, our spirits become depressed and we lose our zest for life. The light that our souls need is heavenly light, light that can only come from God. But because of sin, we live in perpetual darkness; sin is like a thick cloud that prevents God's light from reaching us.

Jesus is our light-bringer. 2,000 years ago He entered our dark world and started warming it with God's wonderful light. By His light, God's holy ways are revealed to us. By His light, our sin is exposed for the sick, dangerous thing it is. His light warms our frozen hearts and fills us with love--love for God and love for each other.

The light of God revealed to us by Jesus chases away depression. Jesus kept God's law for us so that we could stop being failures. Jesus died for our sins so that we could be freed from the guilt of our mistakes. Jesus rose from His grave so that He could lead us from our graves to join Him in paradise. All this is revealed to us by the light of Christ, the light which ends depression and replaces it both with joy and a new passion for living as a child of the light.

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