Jesus, Light of the world

I'm in Christmas mode.  No, I don't have a Christmas jumper yet.  I'm not drinking mulled wine and eating mince pies yet either.  I don't think I ever will, though, because I don't like anything with raisins, but that's beside the point.  I'm in Christmas mode because we're planning and preparing for all the Christmas events at church.  Publicity needs to be done well in advance of the first events and services.  Themes, readings and choir rehearsals need to be coordinated.  Carols need to be chosen and arranged, even though every now and then I come across Facebook posts about how annoyed people are that Sainsbury's AND Waitrose have their Christmas aisle ALREADY!!!  Shocking, I know.  It's as if Psalm 23 should be rewritten for such occasions: "Yea, though I walk through the Christmas aisle at Tesco, I will fear no mince pies and Advent chocolates, for You are with me..."

In the midst of all this chaos and contrasting views on Christmas advertising and when it is socially acceptable to mention the C-word (Christmas, that is...) where others may hear/read it, I find it rather helpful to go through traditional Christmas readings before the madness of the season itself.

You see, Christ didn't come to earth to only be with us on Christmas and stay for as long as our Christmas tree is up (which, apparently, also have very strict social norms...).  No.  Christ came to us, in our mess, in our chaos, in our differences, in our socially awkwardness, in our disagreements, in our failures, in our victories, in our sadness and in our guilt.  That is, He came to be with us all year round, not just when we remember Him during Advent.

But again, I digress.

One of the traditional Christmas Bible readings is the prophecy of the coming Messiah found in Isaiah chapter 9.  What a promise that was.  According to Isaiah's prophecy, the coming Messiah would be some guy: Wonderful Counsellor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.  The one that jumped out at me, though, was the "great light in the darkness" part in verse 2.  Jesus later talks about Himself as "The Light of the World" in John 8:12.  Light in the darkness.  That's quite something.

I don't know about you, but when I have read these verse in the past, I always pictured a glorious sun-like light.  The kind of light no one can miss.  The kind of light that permanently burns its image on your mind and heart, unless you look away.  The kind of light reserved for royalty or superstars.

But think about it.  Jesus isn't only a brilliant, glorious light for everyone in general to see.  He comes in humility, born in a stable, adored by regular people like you and I, and brings the hope that a light in the darkness brings.  He comes to each one of us personally.

There's a story about a little boy who walked along a country lane one dark night, with his father.  The boy was carrying the lantern that lit their way, but the black silence all around them frightened him. He said, "Father, this light reaches such a little way, I am afraid." His father answered, "True, my boy. But if you walk on, the light will shine to the end of your journey."

In the same way we don't always experience Christ's brilliant light illuminating everything around us for our comfort.  We don't always see the whole picture like God sees it.  We don't always see the whole way laid out before us.  However, we have two promises in Jesus being the Light of the World: His light, however great or small it may seem in the moment, can never be put out and is always bright enough to take the next step.

Now, may you experience the hope that Christ's light brings you this Advent.  And may you have the faith to walk on to the end of your journey, one step at a time.

Even if that means walking through the Christmas aisle at Tesco in October.

"In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.  He was with God in the beginning.  Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made.  In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind.  The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it."  (John 1:1-5)