Advent 10: Light

Scripture:
"The people walking in darkness have seen a great light;
on those living in the land of deep darkness a light has dawned." (Isaiah 9:2)

"The rising sun will come to us from heaven
to shine on those living in darkness
and in the shadow of death,
to guide our feet into the path of peace." (Luke 1:78-79)

"When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, "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)

Song: Light of the World

The promise of Jesus is a promise of light. It is a promise of truth and guidance, of hope for the hopeless, of light breaking into the darkest places. The world feels pretty dark. Sometimes it feels like light has been completely extinguished, that the darkness is too strong to be overcome, that God has forgotten or is absent or has turned his face away. This is perhaps particularly true in December, the darkest time of the year, the time when we ache for the coming of the Winter Solstice that light might seep back into our mornings and evenings again. 

But Jesus says this is not so: his light is greater than any darkness; the darkest of night is as the noonday sun to him. (Psalm 139:11-12) Those who choose to follow him need not fear the darkness, no matter how dark it gets, because He is with them - He will give them light.

I long to know the fullness of this reality. I catch it in glimpses: the wane of dawn breaking into my life and the lives of those around me; weak beams of early morning sunlight on the horizon. An apology when before there would have been anger; hope for change when before there was disillusion and despair; laughter amidst tears; community and family where there was once isolation.

The light is dawning, and one day Jesus promises that he will bring us to a place where night no longer exists. We will not need the light of a lamp or the light of the sun because He will be our light. (Revelation 22:5) In the meantime, we wait and we pray. We look to the Light of the World and we ask that light would shine in the darkness. We ask that he would shine his light into our hearts and that we would know what it is to have the light of life. Not just in eternity, but now. 

Reflection: This world is urgently in need of light to shine in the darkness, for truth to rule instead of lies. Let us bring the darkest places of this world before God and cry out for Him to act. Let us bring the lost and the hopeless, the victims of abuse, the children trafficked into a strange land, the prisoners, the oppressed, the homeless, the starving, the hurting, and the dying before him and let us say, Let there be light.