December 6, 2012

Isaiah 2:5

 

            "O house of Jacob,

            Come, let us walk

            In the light of the Lord!"

 

            "Come, let us walk in the light of the Lord!"  One of the common themes of the Advent season is the contrast between light and darkness.  We began this Advent season with the confident proclamation that "those who walk in darkness have seen a great light; those who dwelt in a land of deep darkness on them has light shined."  In our modern society, it is difficult to find a place where it is absolutely dark.  Unfortunately, due to the power outage caused by the April, 2011 tornadoes, nearly all of North Alabama was in the dark for several days.  Once the sun went down, it was dark, really dark, and for many, the darkness was more than a bit scary.  But if you had the light of a candle, a flashlight, or a lantern, the darkness was overcome. Even the tiniest flicker of a flame filled an entire room with light and was able to illumine our way. 

            Today, this single verse from Isaiah invites us to "walk in the light of the Lord," to allow God's will and way to serve as our pathway for life.  Our Advent journey will take us to many places throughout the coming weeks, and there will be times when darkness will threaten to overshadow us.  But we need not fear the journey, for we know that THE LIGHT, Jesus Christ, has come into the world, and that regardless of how dark the darkness of our situation may be, it cannot and will not be able to extinguish THE LIGHT!

 

            Prayer:

                        Jesus Christ, Light of the Word, we praise you for the light of your love and grace which overcomes the deepest darkness of our lives and our world.  By the power of your Spirit, help us to walk in your light throughout our Advent journey and even throughout all of the days of our lives.  Amen.