Scripture: Isaiah 9:2
The people walking in darkness have seen a great light. On those living in a pitch-dark land, light has dawned.
Thought for the Day: A lot is changing! The Season of Advent is upon us, and our senses are being bombarded with all that is to be experienced this time of year. Much of what will be experienced will come through our sense of sight, and it will be in the form of lights. Now I like candles and lights on the Christmas tree, and even tastefully done lights on the outside of a home. It is when lights become a competition that I become concerned. It’s like we are fighting to see who can have the single highest electric bill for the month of December. I cannot imagine this is what the Prophet had in mind when he spoke of seeking a great light. The Prophet Isaiah, in these early chapters, was announcing to a people who had walked away from God and into the darkness. There were some outside influences, but for the most part, the Prophet placed the blame squarely on the people – specifically the leadership who deprived the needy, rob the poor and committed injustice toward the widow and the orphan. In response, the Prophet told the people to put as many lights on their houses as possible. NO, that’s sarcasm. The Prophet was angry, but hope remained. The light of God, shining in the form of compassion and justice will find its way back. A candle or lights on a Christmas tree can remind us of this light, but it should never replace the light of God that is to shine through us all in the form of compassion and justice.
Prayer: May the beautiful lights of this season be tools you use for inspiration, O Lord. May the darkness I see around me be a call to reflect your light in such a way that others find real hope for their lives. I ask this in the name of the one who is light to the world. Amen.
