Sunday, December 14, 2025

Meditation

Chances are you have found yourself in a dark place, unsure of where you need to go or where to find something important, like your phone or light switch. In those moments all that matters is finding some sort of light. But sometimes when we turn on the lights we do not like what we see, other times we are surprised by what we find. But whatever we may find, when we put light on something, it reveals the truth to us. Sometimes though we do not like the light. After all bright lights hurt our eyes, sometimes it is easier to live in darkness than to see the reality of the situation. How many times have we heard something wheeze or squeal in our cars and just turned up the radio so as to not deal with it? It is easier to live in darkness sometimes than face costly realities.

Isaiah 9:2 tells us, “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.” This light, first coming from the preaching of John the Baptist and later Jesus, was not always easy to hear. This teaching challenged old ways of thinking and forced people to confront the darkness within themselves. This love of darkness led to the execution of John the Baptist, and later Jesus Himself.

But despite how hard it is to hear, this light of God’s truth and hope changes lives. John 1:12-13 reads, “But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.” This light of God’s truth brings life, showing us our sins, but also showing us the hope we have in the darkness, Jesus.

As we prepare to welcome Jesus, we look at those who prepared the way and shone the light of God’s truth into a dark world. And even as we hear that today, we hear our call to do the same, shine the light of Jesus into the darkest recesses of our lives and world and see the transformation that only Christ can bring.