Isaiah 60:1-6 (NRSV)
1 Arise, shine; for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord has risen upon you.
2 For darkness shall cover the earth, and thick darkness the peoples; but the Lord will arise upon you, and his glory will appear over you.
So the lights of Christmas are slowly being extinguished, ok so they're unplugged, and the cold of winter has officially caused me to be bundled up. It seems with all the layers I'm dressed in and the darkness I go to church and often come home in that the season seems to be getting to me. I just want to get on a plane and go somewhere where I can wear shorts and bask in the sun for a few hours, but that isn't going to happen anytime soon. I even felt a bit jealous as I said farewell to those who are heading south for a few months. We may even feel the darkness and cold of the world as we read the morning paper, watch the news of the day, or deal with the difficulties life puts in our path. We need the light back!
It's no accident that the early church leaders celebrated Christmas near the darkest time of the year. They too felt the need for hope in the midst of darkness. Because light and Hope are exactly what God offers us. I was amazed at the Christmas eve services when from one candle we lit up the church with a hundred and the warmth that shone in those simple candles overwhelmed me. The scriptures tell us that God comes to us in the person of Jesus to bring that hope and light we need. In this season of cold, darkness, and new year resolutions that point to the inadequacies of our lives we can remember the hope we receive knowing that God is with us, and live in the promises that the light of God will always shine in the darkness that seems to often overwhelm us. How has God's light shone in your life?
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