On Wednesday, December 20, we invite all those who recognize that Christmas brings more than joy but also anxiety, hopelessness, doubt, emptiness, loneliness to gather to recognize one of the Longest nights of the year—when there is far more darkness than daylight.  We remember the darkness in our lives—the losses, the hurts, the unmet needs—and we celebrate the Hope that the Birth of Christ brings and find healing within it.  We celebrate the Hope of Christ’s presence in our lives.  We celebrate the Hope that comes into our darkness in the form of a newborn baby.