Pastor’s Pen—December 2015

This content has been archived. It may no longer be relevant

The Light of God

I wonder if the season of Advent is getting harder to experience as it was originally intended? In terms of the year, we mark Advent in the time of deepest darkness. As daylight shrinks, our lives can’t help but be affected. Of course, we have ways of fighting this darkness. More lights please!

And as we decorate our homes with those little bright lights, joyfulness returns and we can turn our backs on the darker matters; at least for a time. In fact it seems the whole world conspires to push back the darkness and heaviness of life. And so be it. I think there is too little joy sometimes; let joy ring out.

Yet if we deny the darkness and struggle in our lives, the joy and gladness tends to ring hollow and is somehow less than satisfying; we feel strangely unfulfilled. So denial of the darkness is not really the answer. But, on the other hand, if we let the darkness overwhelm us, where is our hope?

Our hope comes in the birth of a child. Why did God send us his Son, Jesus, the Light of life? Because God loves us and God knows our lives are sometimes hard. God knows how dark our lives can be.

But there is a solution for the darkness, and I say light the lights! And as we do, let them be a reminder of the One who comes to dispel all the inner darkness that plagues us each day. Let us walk, fully awake, into this darkening season of Advent with a renewed spirit of hope, being open to what the darkness can teach us, and to the light of Christ which comes to heal us.

May this Advent season open us to the new things that God is doing in our world and in each of our lives. Let us take joy in the brilliance that surrounds us in this season; let us not fear the darkness; let us reach out to those who are lost – and the joy of our Savior’s birth will fill us with Light.

Blessings & Peace,

Pastor Steve