The Light Has Come
Every year, the first item of Christmas decorations, brought out from the storage in the garage, was the advent wreath pounded and fashioned by my dad with a source of heat and a hammer. It held 4 pillar candles (with big spikes to hold the candle in place). And in the middle was a wrought iron rooster. Why a rooster? Well, I think it was because some of my oldest sister’s first words were “cock-a-doodle-doo.” By the time I came around, the advent candle holder was a permanent fixture of our Christmas tradition.
Because on the 4th Sunday before Christmas we would begin the lighting of the advent candles. Sitting in the living room on some of the longest nights of the year, illuminated only by candle light, my dad would tell us stories. Every night he would add one more part of a story that would have an exciting conclusion on Christmas Eve. These evenings are perhaps the most precious memories I carry of my childhood. As we got older, one year we read “the Best Christmas Pageant Ever.” Another year we read an advent devotional. But there was always story, and there was always light illuminating the darkness.
Light. In all its forms it illuminates. It pushes away the darkness. It draws people in. It reveals what is true. It becomes a beacon, a guide. It is a pure form of beauty.
In a dark room, a flickering candle draws one's attention.
On a dark stormy sea, blinking lights give knowledge that allow a boat to sail to safety.
A fire on a cold night not only provides light but also warmth, drawing people to it.
The lights in the sky, the sun and stars, are the earliest forms of guidance.
And sitting around the advent candles in the darkened living room on the longest evenings of the year, the light speaks of a better light.
For that is what advent is all about. Advent means “the arrival of a notable person, thing, or event”. Advent in the Christian calendar is the period of time leading up to Christmas in which we anticipate the coming of Jesus in the form of a baby. And this is a defining moment in the Great Story. It is the moment the saviour, the hero, makes his entrance into the story. It is the point of the story when hope begins to glimmer, when the light begins to break through into the darkness.
Jesus is the greater and truer light, everlasting.
He pushes away the darkness.
He draws people in to himself.
He reveals what is true.
He is a beacon, a guide to life.
He is the truest form of beauty
He is THE LIGHT.
If I’m honest, I’m seeing this truth in a new light this year (get it? New light? It’s okay if you need to groan). But seriously, this year has felt like one long night. With a global pandemic and social unrest and polarizing politics and the rise of social media leading to everybody knowing everything and having an opinion on said everything and a rise of cancel culture... It’s been a hard year. The needs and sorrows and challenges that so many face can leave me feeling like all is lost. It feels too big. The darkness has nearly swallowed up all the joy and hope.
Nearly, but not completely.
I think of my favourite Christmas carol “O Holy Night” and the line that goes: “A thrill of hope, the weary world rejoices, for yonder breaks a new and glorious morn...”
Because The Light has come. I do not have to sit in darkness. I can hold the sorrow and the struggle, and bring it to The Light. I can take all that seems impossible and let The Light guide me through. I can take all the differing, confusing ideas of this world and bring it to The Light to show me what is true. And when the loneliness overwhelms me, The Light draws me in to himself and provides comfort.
And just as you can pass a flame from one candle to another, so I can share The Light. I’ve begun in my home as I carry on the tradition of celebrating advent with my family. And I want to share the light with you. I don’t know what hard things you are carrying right now, what shadows you are experiencing. But can I encourage you this Christmas season to find a candle in your house and light it each night? Turn the lights low and enjoy the glow of that candle for a few minutes. And as you do, I want you to read the scripture below. My prayer is that you will allow The Light to bring you life, that you will feel a thrill of hope.
Isaiah 9:2
"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 60:20
“...for the Lord will be your EVERLASTING LIGHT, and your days of mourning shall be ended.”
John 1:9
"The TRUE LIGHT, which gives light to everyone, was coming into the world."
John 8:12
"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."
Revelation 22:5
"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."
