Advent: The Light...

My house is quiet. Kids safely arrived in the middle of the night. Unlike the wise men, they entered the house with no fanfare...didn't even rouse the dog. The gospel of Matthew assures Joseph that the birth is God's plan. The prophet Isaiah proclaims the hope of God's people.

Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the LORD has risen upon you. For darkness shall cover the earth, and thick darkness the peoples; but the LORD will arise upon you, and his glory will appear over you. Nations will come to your light, and kings to the brightness of your dawn...

Always, I'm pensive at the beginning of the end of this season. I thought yesterday as we finished the gifts and went to the grocery for the umpteenth time how lucky we are to be able to do this. How do you celebrate Christmas when you struggle to keep a roof over your head, struggle to feed your children, struggle to rebuild after floods or fire, struggle to live through cancer.

The quiet, dark house allows the thoughts. I'll lose this soon enough. Once all are up and around, the questions give way to the conversations and the cooking and the worship and the gift-giving and receiving.

But this morning I live where the people of God have lived for so very long. It's dark outside and I am waiting for the light. I know it is coming. It came yesterday. It will come again. Even in the darkness here, the light shines on the other side of the world.

Today it's my job to bring shalom to my family, to speak a word of hope and comfort to the gathered worship assembly. Today it's my job to watch for God at work, to see God's promises revealed, to trust that some day, all will live in the light.

Tomorrow, I work to bring that light to bear in the places I am put, in the things I can do, in the way I live and breathe. Fortunately, I don't have to save the world. That's been done. But there's work for me. For you. For us all.

Be not afraid...

Arise, shine, for your light has come...

Trust God at work...