“The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; those who dwelt in the land of the shadow of death, upon them a light has shined.”  Isaiah 9:2. Seven centuries before Jesus’ birth, Isaiah used an image of light and shadow to foretell the coming of a Savior for Israel. Rembrandt’s painting The adoration of the Shepherds portrays the darkened stable in Bethlehem where two shepherds kneel beside the manger while other people stand farther away.  One man holds a lantern, but the brightest light shines not from this lantern but from the Christ-child, illuminating those who have gathered close to Him.  Each person may see a different story in Rembrandt’s painting, but perhaps each of us is represented somewhere in that stable.  Are we kneeling in worship, standing back in hesitation, or hiding from the light that has penetrated our darkness? Faith in Christ is not a leap into the dark; it’s a step into the Light.