Advent

God spoke: “Light!”
And light appeared.
God saw that light was good
and separated light from dark. ~ Genesis 1:1-3

A bright light appears out of nowhere breaking up the darkness. Imagine for a moment being in complete darkness and light bursting through for the first time. It’s new, different and disruptive. The flicker of light dancing is alluring and beckoning. That flame of light is Yahweh. His light is shining, revealing, and speaking. We sit quietly and longingly with the light.

Advent is defined as coming, the arrival or appearance of something. In our case, Advent is the period of time when we prepare for the arrival of Christmas, the day which we celebrate the arrival of Jesus. When Jesus arrives wrapped in swaddling clothes, the Israelites had been waiting over four hundred years for the arrival of God’s next prophet, a messenger of hope and a future. Malachi was the last Jewish prophet before Jesus was born. During the four hundred year history the Israelites had been overthrown by many countries and their governments. They were a people that had lost their identity and were looking for a new Jewish leader to crush the oppressive Roman rule and reign with authority. Isaiah had prophesied seven hundred years before Jesus’ birth that a virgin would conceive and give birth to a son and he would be named Immanuel, meaning God with us.

During the first Advent, we find Mary, a young Jewish virgin girl who became pregnant while engaged to Joseph, an older Jewish man, who was widowed with grown children. They start their marriage with doubts, questions and fears. Through dreams and visits by angels, they find strength and direction to walk forward in obedience. This fulfilled the prophecy of the Christ child being born. The Jewish peoples’ prayers have been answered, they have a Savior, hope and a future. God uses ordinary people like Mary and Joseph, you and me, showing our humanity, weakness and doubts in our journey to be his people, to be his messengers, his light-bearers to others living in darkness. God calls us to be his light.

“Here’s another way to put it: You’re here to be light, bringing out the God-colors in the world. God is not a secret to be kept. We’re going public with this, as public as a city on a hill. If I make you light-bearers, you don’t think I’m going to hide you under a bucket, do you? I’m putting you on a light stand. Now that I’ve you there on a hilltop, on a light stand-shine! Keep open house; be generous with your lives. By opening up to others, you’ll prompt people to open up with God, this generous Father in heaven.” ~ Matthew 5:14-16

As you light the candles on the Advent wreath, what is God’s light revealing to you? Where is God’s light shining in your life? Where is God asking you to shine your light?