ADVENT IV
December 18, 2022
“Drawn to the Light”
“. . . the earth was a formless void and darkness covered the face of the deep, . . . Then God said, “Let there be light” ; and there was light. “ Genesis 1:2a, 3
“And there will be no more night; they need no light of lamp or sun, for the Lord God will be their light . . .” Revelation 22:5a
As December makes an about-face from late fall-like days to the depths of winter, most of us just button up, hang onto our hats and philosophically accept the changes thrown our way. We might complain, of course, commiserating with others braving the cold. That’s just a social necessity; a little mutual grumbling seems to build a sense of community.
The pervasiveness of overcast, gray days combined with the short amount of time between sunrise and sunset has us trying to remember what sunshine and/or daylight past 4 o’clock in the afternoon is like. The theme of light — of understanding, of God’s love, of joy in the presence of the Lord recurs throughout the Bible. As quoted above, we see that the first chapter of Genesis and the last chapter of Revelation speak of light, which is brought about by the creative power of God’s word. Light is essential to our physical and emotional health — we need that Vitamin D, the “sunshine vitamin” to keep us healthy, and a sunny day is a welcome boost to the spirits during these winter months.
As Jesus taught and preached, he used the images of light in many ways, knowing his listeners would understand when he told them, “I am the light of the world; those who follow me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” (John 8:12). For people who were trying to live according to the demands of the Law, wondering if they were pleasing God or falling far short, this is a radical promise, and it’s not unreasonable to assume that they wondered how this could be true, and how it would come about. And so they followed, they listened, they asked questions, and the light began to come into their lives.
As we draw ever closer to hearing once again how God sent his only child to live among the humans of a broken, conflicted world, there are little glimmers of the light that is to come. It may be dark, but this is a quiet, enfolding environment as we wait in faith to hear the old, familiar story as it brings new light of Christ into the world.
Of course, this is only the beginning, and Jesus’ images of light continued, as he tells us, “You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hid. . . . Let your light so shine before others, that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.” (Matthew 5:14, 16). Jesus completes the circle of light; not only is he the light of the world, through his authority, we are, too! We get to BE the light to all who are struggling in the darkness of danger, conflict, and hardship.
It may seem as though our lights are faint and insignificant, but remember our tradition of candle-lighting at Christmas worship, when the tiny flames are shared, and the room is filled with a warm, beautiful glow.
Trusting in the light to come,
Your friend in Christ,
Mary Rogers