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
It’s easy to feel the darkness. Especially this time of
year. Especially in western Pennsylvania. Where the sun *never* shines. Our oldest son works in a limestone
mine. He mentioned the other day, that
he rarely gets to see daylight this time of year – at least during the
week. I remarked back to him, “You
haven’t missed anything.”
As I have slowly recovered from foot surgery, my
frustrations have been many. The lack of
mobility, the unstable gait, the ‘not sure I should do this’ feeling, has far
too often, made me feel dark. I do not like the feeling. I keep hoping a day is coming, a week is coming,
a month is coming that that will feel light, that the worries of mobility,
unstable gait, unsureness, will become a memory.
The passage from Isaiah reflects quite accurately how the
Israelites were feeling during the exile. And while they did return from banishment,
they were – one way or another – under the control of many different
nations. In the years before the birth
of Jesus, Israel was a puppet nation with a puppet King all under control of
the Roman Empire. For so many, it remained a very dark time for a very long
time.
The season we are in now is called Advent. Some have
described Advent as a drama between light and dark. We are still heading into the darkness, as the
nights continue to grow longer and days shorter. But soon that will change. It won’t be very noticeable but someday soon
after December 21, the light will start to conquer.
As I think about this, an old carol came to mind. It’s
not in our hymnbooks – I looked. It’s called “People Look East.” Some of the
lyrics, written by Eleanor Farjeon, go like this:
People, look east. The time is near
Of the crowning of the year.
Make your house fair as you are able,
Trim the hearth and set the table.
People, look east and sing today:
Love, the Guest, is on the way.
Why look east? Because that is where the sun
comes up. The detection of a slight return of the light; a
morning star heralding in something new,
something brighter.
The light is coming. Soon we will celebrate the
birth of the Light of the world. As John
wrote, “The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not
overcome it.” John 1:5
May we all keep focused on the promise. The Light is on
the way. The darkness never wins….
