Isaiah 60:1–3 (NIV)
Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord rises upon you. See, darkness covers the earth and thick darkness is over the peoples, but the Lord rises upon you and his glory appears over you. Nations will come to your light, and kings to the brightness of your dawn.
CONSIDER THIS
Advent is a season of slowing, reflecting, and drawing in. Sometimes that’s difficult to do with the chaos of holiday planning and endless obligation. But the best of long winter, Advent nights is turning in for rest, reflection, and relationship. The warm, glowing light of the Christmas tree across the room. A candle flickering in the distance sharing its scent and a warm cup of cocoa. The perfect winter evening may have you gathered around the crackle of a fireplace taking in its warmth and gazing at its intoxicating glory. There is something about a flame that’s mesmerizing as it shifts in color, radiates heat, and dances in the darkness. Whether the fire burns brightly at a summer night’s camp, rages over the logs of an autumn bonfire, or crackles on a Christmas night, the light of any fire shares one thing in common. It attracts and draws us into its comforting beauty.
Light reflects—and light attracts.
In fact, its reflection is what makes it attractive.
Because light gives off warmth for others, it draws others in to receive it.
The Gospel of John reminded us that Christ reflected his light into the world, that it would be life and hope for all who believe. The self-giving nature of God shared himself into the world for the sake of others, and we get to bask in its glorious light. But in these incredible words of prophecy from Isaiah, we’re reminded that God’s light is rising over the darkness of oppression, destruction, and division, and what will rise from that darkness will be so glorious that nations will be drawn to its light, and kings to its brightness. Isaiah promises that God’s faithfulness will be reflected in the people of God, in their story of his faithfulness to them, in Christ’s arrival, and in Christ’s return. The testimony of that goodness will draw those outside of the light into its radiance. What’s coming after the darkness will burn so brightly that even the things of power and position will stand in awe of its beauty.
When broken things are brought back to life people follow the marvel of its miracle. (Make note of this particular prophecy and the coming story of wise men and kings.) When we allow God to use our darkness, bring light forth in it to reflect his goodness and glory, the glorious redemption of it will be a beacon of hope and promise for those in its reach.
We kept our first miscarriage much to ourselves. (As many people do.) As we navigated the pain of that loss, we turned into the shadows and sought our healing in the quiet. As we experienced our second miscarriage and the pain swelled, we shared some of our suffering, asked people to pray, and began to bring our grief from the shadows to the light. By the third miscarriage, we knew we couldn’t contain our brokenness and began sharing our story—even as it stood unresolved—praying that sharing our grief, and how God met us in it, would make room for others to find God in it too. For us, sharing the story of darkness brought with it the light of redemption. How could God redeem our pain when it didn’t seem that physical healing was coming? The only answer we knew was to allow our darkness to reveal the light of Christ as God met us in our pain.
When the Lord provided healing to our hearts through adoption, we shared the story so light could break in for others through the testimony of self-giving love and God’s redemptive work to heal in ways we can’t imagine. A decade later, when I stood on a stage and preached one December morning, sharing with others that God didn’t heal my body but had healed my heart, the hope was that my mended places could reveal God’s promise of redemption for others. When (days later) we learned of our miraculous pregnancy, we told the story so others who knew our previous pain could believe that God still heals. And though we can’t yet see how God will use the story of our daughter’s death to bring hope to others, we trust that he will do that too. We deeply believe that the light of Christ reaching into our brokenness can bear the light of hope to others and glorify God even in the darkest places.
I come by that truth honestly as I’ve had the great honor of watching my mother, paralyzed from the devastation of polio at age three, use more strength in each day than I could muster in a lifetime, leading other people to the hope of Christ with her example, selflessness, testimony, and faithfulness. Though she would probably deny the significance of her witness, there is an endless line of people impacted by how she’s allowed her brokenness to reflect Christ’s light—attracting people to the life and hope he brings in the process.
The in-breaking of Christ as the Christ-child, the Messiah and Savior, the restoration and redemption he brings to the brokenness of creation, and the brokenness in us, becomes a beacon of hope for others. Like the passage from the Gospel of John reminds us in saying, “the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it,” the light of Christ and the way he redeems the darkness becomes a light that attracts others to its radiance.
Then, Christ’s radiance, in a way only light can do, pushes into the deepest places of our despair, division, destruction, and death to work stories of redemption in us. Those places of restoration only become beacons of hope for others when we speak to their stories and share with others how God has met us in our darkness and revealed light in it. In fact, I believe that telling the story is part of the healing. The hope for Israel’s redemption, the restoration of his kingdom, and the salvation of people was a light to the nations. Our stories of darkness redeemed become flickers of hope for others stuck in the shadows. Our declaration of Christ’s promised return becomes the light and warmth of a fire that gathers us in with anticipation and longing.
This Advent, consider that your darkness may find redemption as you share God in your story, that your life may attract others to his light.
THE PRAYER
Light of the World, Hope of the Nations, we stand in awe of your beauty and long for the warmth of your light to radiate in us. We need the gift of your light to heal places long broken in us and for us to find the strength for our brokenness to be used for your beauty. May we be so consumed by your light that we desire nothing more than for your work in us to be a testament of hope for someone else, not for our sake, but so you would be glorified on earth and receive the praise you are so worthy of. Help us to not hide in the shadows of insecurity but to find confidence in knowing you shine most brightly in stories of your indwelling presence. Remind us we’re not alone in our brokenness and that we’re never too far from your redemption. This Christmas, may we let your light radiate in the darkness as we proclaim your goodness in all things. In Jesus’s name, amen.
THE QUESTION
Do you have places of pain where you’ve been hoping for God’s healing?
This Christmas, could you consider that Christ may use your brokenness as a light of hope for someone else? Would you consider offering your broken places to Christ in such a way that he can shine through them? Pray for that now.
Essentially, does your life, by your story and example, attract others to the light of Christ?
P. S.
Music is a powerful gift for healing. Might I suggest for your reflection a fairly non-traditional advent song by the incredible Bristol House Team, “Paid for It All.” It may not be the Advent song you expect but it sure is a song that bears the tension of darkness and light, longing and hopefulness. Listen for that as Brenna leads and give all the love you can to Mark, Brenna, and the Bristol House family. We love you guys. Find that song, and all their music, wherever you stream yours.
For the Awakening,
Sarah Wanck
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One Response
Advent is a great time to awaken to Christ’s always abiding with us. His radiance remains throughout the years to reside in us, revive us, and restore us. Its efficacy has not been overcome!
It’s wonderful to celebrate
Jesus’ birth in the past
And to look forward to
His coming in the future
But let’s also wake up to
His presence in the present!