The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; those who dwelt in a land of deep darkness, on them has light shone.
Isaiah 9:2, ESV
At Advent, we look back at why Jesus had to come, that He came, and then that He will come again.
We live in a dark world.
Sin entered the world when Adam and Eve broke the one command of God that should have been the easiest: “Don’t eat this fruit.”
Yes, sin means missing the mark, falling short, turning away from God.
Sin is ultimately separation. We are born separated from God because of our super-great grandparents, yet we also choose to remain separated by our own choices.
We live behind a veil that blocks His light, and that veil is too heavy to remove ourselves.
It is as if we blocked out the sun to stop it’s heat, and then we climbed into a steep cave, falling to the bottom, unable to climb back out let alone remove the barrier between us and God.
Yet God came to us, the sun itself removing the barrier and lifting us up. God Himself lifted the veil to be with us.
Yes, we still live in a darkened world full of sin and separation, but God has lifted the veil over us. As we go into this world, the people will see the light streaming through us from above.
May we seek to be that light as we take Him into this dark world.
The Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you; the Lord lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace.
Numbers 6:24-26, ESV
Seek the Lord, and He will bless You with His presence, His grace, and His peace.
Enter his gates with thanksgiving, and his courts with praise! Give thanks to him; bless his name!
Psalm 100:4, ESV
God has called us into community with Him and with His Chosen people. May we come together and thank God for this brotherhood: the Church filled with the Holy Spirit.
Do we truly love the Lord our God with all our hearts, souls, minds, and strengths? Maybe I can help with the mind part, at least! This is Daniel M. Klem, apparent poet, reluctant yet passionate Disciple (Peter?), and foolish man attempting to understand theology!