By Rev. Eugenia A. Gamble
Prepare! Arise! Shine! Your Light Comes!
Rarely in my lifetime have I seen the contrast between light and darkness, love and hate, beauty and despair as clearly defined as in this present moment. In times of conflict and turmoil, both personal and global, God knows our deep need for the light. In scripture, Jesus is called the Light of the world. We know that he is still the source of light and hope. Advent is a season of preparing, hoping, expecting and pondering. So to help with that reflecting I looked for every reference to light in the Bible. What a journey!
The scriptures I have chosen, in keeping with the traditional themes of Advent, largely come from the Old Testament until we get to the days immediately before Christmas. Not all, but most. If the passage was longer than a verse or two, I did not print it out for you. This devotion is, at heart, a guided retreat in which you can sit with the scripture and journey both backward and forward in your life, safe and secure in the loving Presence of God. Each reflection is designed to help you open up new inner spaces in which to welcome Jesus into the home of your heart more completely this Christmas, even as you ponder his coming again, and the endless creative ways Christ comes to us each and every day. Some of the suggested reflections may not speak to you at all. Some may take you to deep rooms in the soul that need a good dusting.
Whatever you experience, it is just what you need in that moment. God will bring fruit in your life in due time. If you enjoy keeping a journal, that will deepen your experience on this journey. I know that is not for everyone, so just choose what is right for you and dive in. Sometimes Advent gets lost in our culture of months long Christmas commerce. My prayer this year is that you can carve out just a few moments of real inner space to prepare for the coming of the One who is your everything.
All my love! Eugenia