The next time the sun rises in the northernmost town in the United States – formerly known as Barrow, Alaska now Utquagvik – by the time rises there again, the 47th President of the United States will have been sworn into office. That’s right, the sun is not going to rise there again for 64 days.
Situated along Alaska’s North Slope on the Arctic Ocean, the town sits at 71.17 degrees North latitude — some 330 miles north of the Arctic Circle. That means that, for about two months every year, the sun stays below the horizon, leading to a prolonged “polar night.”
The sun will set at 1:27 p.m. local time on Nov. 18., and it won’t reemerge from its long slumber until January 22, 2025. That’s when the sun will rise at 1:15 p.m. in the south, and set just 48 minutes later.
It got me thinking about the declaration in Isaiah 9 that we’re going to hear throughout the season of Advent.
The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; those who dwelt in a land of deep darkness, on them has light shone.
Isaiah 9:2
And that always makes me think of Jesus and a praise song from my college days:
Lord, the light of your love is shining
In the midst of the darkness, shining
Jesus, Light of the world, shine upon us
Set us free by the truth you now bring us
Shine on me, shine on me
Shine, Jesus, shine
Fill this land with the Father’s glory
Blaze, Spirit, blaze
Set our hearts on fire
Flow, river, flow
Flood the nations with grace and mercy
Send forth your word
Lord, and let there be light
Where did Graham Kendrick get that idea or even those words?
Again Jesus spoke to them, saying, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”
John 8:12
In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.
Matthew 5:16 16
But you are a chosen people, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.
1 Peter 2:9
The apostle Paul used the stars to describe our mission as believers in Jesus. He wrote that God calls us to “shine among [unbelievers] like stars in the sky as you hold firmly to the word of life” (Philippians 2:15-16 NIV). Stars stand out like bright lights and draw people’s attention. In the same way, God calls us to shine brightly for Christ so that the world living in darkness will see it and be drawn to the “word of life”—Jesus Himself.
We see the theme of light and dark throughout Scripture. In fact, the Bible ends with this promise about what is to come:
“And night will be no more. They will need no light of lamp or sun, for the Lord God will be their light, and they will reign forever and ever.”
Revelation 23:5.
Most of us are living in places where, thanks to daylight savings, the sun sets before dinner, making for some long nights. I cannot imagine two entire months without the sun. Can you?
But there is coming a day when we won’t even need it. We will be face to face with our Lord, and he will be our light.
In the meantime, we rely on lamps and candles and the twinkle lights on our Christmas trees to remind us the Light of the world has come, and is coming again.
So, this is my prayer for the people in Utquagvik, Alaska, where it is going to be night for next 64 days, and for the rest of us who face many long nights of winter ahead:
May the stars shine brightly and may we remember that the One who hung those bright lights came as the Light of the world and encourages us by the power of His own Spirit to shine as beacons of hope and life for the sake of a dark and dying world.
Feature photo by Olena Bohovyk on Unsplash
