Dawn on our Darkness
The title of our Advent series is "Dawn on our Darkness", a line taken from the hymn Brightest and Best of the Sons of the Morning. It captures this frequent Advent theme of light breaking into our darkness. One of the verses often associated with Advent puts it this way, "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)."
As we make our way toward Christmas this year, I have been acutely aware of how desperate we are as a people to have light break into our lives. From health struggles to heart struggles, darkness threatens a stranglehold in our lives. Whether it is the self sabotage of allowing created things to become greater than our creator, or the invasive corruption of a world crumbling around us, we find ourselves groping in darkness, longing for light.
This is why the message of the Gospel writers is so staggering! As we heard Sunday, Mark's opening line, "The beginning of the Gospel of Jesus Christ the Son of God" is more than just an easy on-ramp into telling the story of Jesus. Rather, it is a bold infusion of light into a world cowering in the darkness of Roman Imperialism. It is a proclamation to counter the "gospel" of the would-be son of god, Caesar Augustus, with the declaration that the real Son of God has come, not bringing more taxes, slavery and crosses, but with the intent to go to THE CROSS himself to truly set his people free. When Luke tells the story, he introduces us to the angels, these majestic heavenly creatures who live in the presence of the Almighty, who burst on the scene with this message, “Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord (Luke 2:10–11)." A light shines in the darkness.
We all know the darkness is real -- health, relational strife, financial hardship, loneliness, depression, besetting sin, controlling idolatries, creational decay and the list goes on. But Advent reminds us that true Light always dispels darkness (cf. Jn. 1:5)!
Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the LORD has risen upon you (Isaiah 60:1).