Advent
Advent is the four-week season leading up to Christmas Day. Traditionally, Advent begins in darkness, and churches worldwide gradually light candles throughout the season to symbolize Jesus, the Light of the World, coming into the world.
Christmas, however, rarely starts in darkness these days. By the time we get to Thanksgiving, our world is an over-lit affair, with TV screens and phone notifications begging us to ATTEND THIS, BUY THIS, and DO THIS. The lesson, then, is not to simply find light-- but to Rediscover the Light that brings meaning to our lives and to the season.
This Light, of course, is Jesus, of whom the apostle John writes, “In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind” (John 1:4).
Rediscovering the Light takes planning and intentionality. If we follow the currents of the world around us, they will lead us to where we end up every holiday season-- exhausted, let down, and stressed out. So instead, let’s experience this season differently and Rediscover the Light.
