The Word gave life to everything that was created,
John 1:4-5
and his life brought light to everyone.
The light shines in the darkness,
and the darkness can never extinguish it.[
This Advent Rebekah and I are doing our best to decorate without hauling carloads of stuff down and over from the Elmwood Court attic in Wake Forest.
It helps, of course that our Tarboro house already owns a classic picturesque ambiance. So all we really need to do is to add accents that bring the heart of the season into focus.
And I believe that, at least for us, the clearest lens to look through is that of light.
In fact, I plan to use “light” as my key theological idea for this the first week in Advent.
So, instead of – or maybe in addition to – the traditional “Hope Peace Love & Joy” in my Advent devotional book), this year I want to think about the following four words:
- Light
- Grace
- Mercy
- Reconciliation
With light as the contant thread that runs all the way through.
John’s Inspiration?
I can imagine the disciple John, trying to get a handle on how to describe the coming of Jesus. It is late in his life, most of the others have already died martyrs’ deaths, and he is struggling to put words on parchment.
Then, maybe catching a reflection as the sun moves along its arc through the heavens, a shaft of clear pure light penetrates a dark corner of the room where John is working. And the aging disciple sees clearly, recognizing instantly the way the natural vitality, and buoyancy, and the animation of Christ’s life made everything crystal clear so many years before. And he exclaims, laughs out loud, maybe dances a little jig as the clarity of who Jesus was – who Jesus is – fills him with life and anticipation and excitement once again.
“Jesus – The Word – gave life to everything!” he says – yells – out loud. “He is the light that shines in this darkness!”
A few of his neighbors come running. “What is it, John?” and “Is everything all right?”
“Everything is so, so right!” John exclaims, still excited, tears filling his eyes. “Listen to this, would you? I believe I have the beginnings of my story about being with Jesus…”
“John the Baptizer was not the light, (and neither is John the writer). But both of us have this task, this opportunity: we stand as simple witnesses, to tell about the light. Jesus, the one who is the true light, who gives light to everyone, he is the one who has come into the world” (John 1:8-9 paraphrased by the author).
So shine already, “let your light so shine!” – DEREK
