For most people, the winter solstice has little impact on their lives. I think for most people, if they were to describe the longest night of their lives, it would have little to do with literal darkness from the lack of sunlight. It would more likely have to do with a darkness of the spirit, the heart, and the mind brought about by a shocking and devastating life experience – the death of a loved one, the failure of relationship, the experience of war, a diagnosis.

I wonder if Joseph might have considered the night immediately after receiving the news that Mary was pregnant to be the longest night of his life. Matthew doesn’t tell us Joseph’s feelings, but I’m guessing he was angry, devastated, ashamed, and embarrassed. The wheels were coming off in his well thought-out and planned life. Matthew does tell us that Joseph was a righteous man. If Joseph didn’t already know it, he was learning that sometimes we can live righteous lives and still find ourselves in places where there’s great pain and hardship. Scripture doesn’t promise that if we faithfully follow God nothing bad will happen. Even the most righteous person is subject to the same struggles as everyone else is subject to.