Rev. Cara Scriven, Lead Pastor
As I was planning worship for Advent, I kept coming back to the Christmas Carol In the Bleak Mid-Winter. The first verse of this song is:
In the bleak mid-winter
Frosty wind made moan;
Earth stood hard as iron,
Water like a stone;
Snow had fallen, snow on snow,
Snow on snow,
In the bleak mid-winter
Long ago.
The images of water and earth being unmovable continue to describe how I feel about our current situation. The number of deaths from COVID-19 are increasing at a rate that experts expect to begin to double. Unfortunately, the same experts say that our situation will only get worse as we move more fully into the winter months. What was once a joyous holiday season has now a very bleak outlook.
Yet on Sunday, we read the opening verses from the Gospel of John including:
What came into being through the Word was life,
and the life was the light for all people.
The light shines in the darkness,
and the darkness doesn’t extinguish the light.
John 1:4-5
Christ is indeed the Light of the World. A light that drives out the darkness and a light that changes lives. Our faith is full of images about light breaking through the darkness. We see it in the exodus story as God leads the Hebrews through the wilderness as a pillar of fire. We hear it in the promises of the prophets that a light will come. We see it in the star that rises over Jesus in the Christmas story. We hear it again on Easter morning when the women come to the tomb while it was still dark only to find the Light of the World resurrected. Light has always been a sign of hope in our faith.
In our everyday lives, we understand this on a very practical level. A simple light can completely change our surroundings and even the way we perceive what is happening. This is one reason why I love Christmas lights. At the darkest point of the year, I will go out well after dark just to see the twinkling lights. As my family decorated our home this year, we knew we would need more light than in the past. Thus, there are not only lights on our tree and outside our home but also on our banister, in our family room and around the master bathroom. Each time I pass them, a smile comes across my face as they bring me a small bit of joy.
As we prepare for Christ to come into our world, what can you do to light up the dark? Can you add some string lights to your home or office? Light a candle each evening? Is a new light in order? Or can you move a favorite lamp to a new place? Perhaps, you might change out an old white light bulb to something more festive. When we are faced with darkness, don’t underestimate the impact of small changes. A single candle or string of lights can make all the difference.
May you experience the power of the Light this winter.