Week 1 - Day 7
Reflection & Action
We began the week with the reminder that for Christians, “hope is not the absence of darkness. It is the presence of Christ within it.” The regular rhythm of nightfall is, in a sense, a daily reminder that none of us can escape the darkness of our world. But what if, as we have been reminded this week, there is a hope in the midst of the darkness? As the first week of Advent comes to an end, what would it mean for you, instead of seeking to avoid the darkness, to look for the presence of Jesus in the darkness? The psalms are full of reminders that God is present in trouble, that He walks with us in the valley of deep darkness, and that even darkness is not dark to Him.
Consider trying one of these exercises as a way of engaging with hope in darkness:
Sit in a dark room alone, or with family or friends. Notice what it feels like to be surrounded by darkness. After a time of silence, speak out loud to Jesus. Greet Him and thank Him for being present in the darkness. When you turn the lights back on, thank Him for being present in the light as well, and for the hope that one day darkness will be forgotten and light will be all we know.
There’s a tradition at Christmas of making wish lists of gifts and sending them to Santa or to our family. While it might feel like Christmas lists commercialize Jesus’s birth, we can also see them as an opportunity to understand the desires that we and others around us have. Could these lists actually be a window into the deep desires we all have for ‘that other world’, as Pastor Giotis wrote about on Friday? Look for an opportunity this weekend to talk with someone about what they want for Christmas. As they talk, listen for the longing for God’s real and true kingdom hidden beneath the surface.
