Read: 2 Chronicles 6:12-21
In advent, the season of waiting
Days wane and darkness comes
As the winter solstice draws near
…
But the light returns with Jesus’ birth
And God’s covenant is fulfilled
As it was with our ancestors
…
It is said that
“The heavens cannot contain God”
So the light spills on us, on the earth
…
It is with hopeful anticipation
That we rest and wait
For the Light
___________________________
I’ve been living through an advent of sorts for many years since my dad was diagnosed with early-onset Alzheimer’s. It’s given me a lot of time to reflect on hope. I have time and again seen light as a symbol of hope and of God.
I’ve always loved light–the way it moves and changes things, the way it creates awe in us. My college photography professor challenged our class to look for “light events” or moments where light makes an impression on the viewer. I’ve carried on looking for “light events” long past college, and I’ve also taken that search into a metaphorical realm. I look for “light events” in my life as moments of hope.
As I reflect on advent, hope, and light, I keep coming back to the winter solstice. It corresponding so closely with advent and Christmas seems so fitting. Sunlight is returning just as the Light of the World comes.