Wonder Of Advent #8

Out of Darkness

Read: Isaiah 9:1-7

The people who walk in darkness will see a great light. For those who live in a land of deep darkness, a light will shine.

Isaiah 9:2

ONE NIGHT long ago, angels broke into the darkness to sing about the birth of a very special child. Their audience was not assembled in a public square or a king’s court. The angels spoke to shepherds sitting in the gloom, protecting their sheep from predators and preventing any from wandering. It was a scene rich with meaning—among his many wonderful attributes, God is a master of poetic imagery—as these menial workers witnessed history’s most stunning news. Not only was their darkness pierced by the brilliance of heaven, but so was the earth’s.

Scripture says the world walks in darkness, and we can hardly dispute the fact. For all our claims of enlightenment, we continue to build ourselves up and tear one another down. We have made amazing technological advancements but remain bound by short life spans and finite understanding. Egos, greed, bitterness, deception, and wars have not gone away. Many people have not only given up their search for truth; they have begun to deny it even exists. As a whole, we have embraced the darkness as normal.

There’s a world of difference between what’s usual and what’s normal; between our experiences of the way things are and our hopes for the way they should be. Our eyes may be adjusted to the darkness of the world, but they were made for brighter vision. We have been designed to see and experience glory. We are destined for a brighter realm. We are called to come into the light.

That’s what Advent is all about. The coming of Christ, the incarnation of God himself, is an invasion of light into a dark world. It is the Creator’s plan to establish a new normal for anyone willing to embrace it by faith. The ancient prophecies assure us that a light will shine in the land of deep darkness and that the people whose eyes are dimmed by hopelessness will see something much, much better. Those promises began to be fulfilled with the coming of the Christ, the Savior, the Messiah from a realm of glory. The darkness has been pierced—by brilliant angels for one night and by the child of promise for the ages. The dawn is coming for anyone willing to see it with new eyes.

Prayer

Lord, open my eyes. Awaken my hope. Show me your realms of glory that I may walk in the light of truth and eternity, now and forever. Amen.

REFLECTION

Where do you see darkness in this world? Where do you see light? Which one most captures your attention?

Further reading: John 8:12

A thrill of hope, the weary world rejoices,

for yonder breaks a new and glorious morn.

“O HOLY NIGHT” (“CANTIQUE DE NOËL”),
PLACIDE CAPPEAU