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REFLECTION
A Light Has Dawned
by Katie Borden
Welcome to December, where at least here in Columbus it gets awfully dark, awfully early these days! I’m so thankful that folks have started stringing up their Christmas lights and illuminating these dark and dreary evenings with sparkle and cheer.
What hope the words of this passage bring to a world that feels darkness so deeply these days. What hope and life there is during this Advent season, when we wait on Jesus to make his appearance. What hope there is in the proclamation that “on those living in the land of the shadow of death, a light has dawned.”
And then what joy to immediately read these words of Jesus in this same passage: “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near.”
The kingdom of heaven is found where the presence and reign of God are. This is found in Jesus himself. Jesus is near! Jesus has come! And Jesus will come again! What life there is in his presence. What life there is in repentance, in turning to him as he rescues us from this darkness.
The more I spend time with Jesus and his people, the more I appreciate just how profound is this December ritual of stringing up lights to shine just a flicker of candlepower on our little corners of the world. Plugging in our twinkling icicle lights in the middle of the darkest night is like a cosmic shake of our fists at the powers of darkness and evil—as if to say, “you may try with all your might to extinguish all that is good and whole and true in this world, but we know the one who is coming to vanquish you, Evil. We know who is coming to swallow you, Darkness. You shall have no victory, Death, because Jesus is coming back and he will make all things right!”
Praise be to God! Light has come!
PRAYER PRACTICE
Breath Prayer: Take 2-3 minutes today to pray a simple breath prayer. Get somewhere quiet and relaxing. Breathe in deeply, and then breathe out fully. As you breathe in, ask God to fill you with His presence, grace, love, peace, etc. Consider using the list of spiritual fruit in Galatians 5:22-23. As you breathe out, offer to God the things you need Him to rake from you - sin, doubt, shame, anxiety, fear, etc. Pray this way for just a few minutes, trusting God to work, and then begin reading today's Scripture.
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