Jesus: When moonlight gives to sunlight

-Pastor Melissa Fain-

The people who walked in darkness
    have seen a great light;
those who lived in a land of deep darkness--
    on them light has shined.

Isaiah 9:2 NRSV

Did you know the night is coldest before the dawn? As the sun rises, it slowly heats the Earth. Once the sun sets, that heat slowly goes away until the sun rises again and it all starts over. If you go camping, you’ve felt that pre-dawn chill.  You want to stay snuggled in your sleeping bag instead of braving the cold to get dressed and ready for a new day.

During the night, there are ways to know the sun is still there: the moon. The moon doesn’t shine its own light. The sun shines on the moon, and the moon shines the sun’s light on us. The moon becomes a reminder that the sun is still there, even when the world seems so dark.

Advent is like the moon. We are waiting to celebrate the birth of Jesus, to see the light of Christ in our world. That light was not gone. We didn’t see it directly, but we saw it. It shined through Elizabeth, Mary, and Joseph. We saw it through the shepherds and their sheep. Advent is pre-dawn darkness, but the light is still there, ready to warm our hearts, even when the chill has taken hold.

Today is the last day of Advent. Today is the last day to prepare. Tomorrow we see the light.

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Question: Have you seen Jesus’ light shine through someone?
 
Prayer: Dear God, prepare us for the light. Amen

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Places to connect:

To see or share pictures of the Advent Adventure Crafts:
Twitter: @FigTreeTweet, #AdventAdventure

For deeper discussion: Reddit: www.Reddit.com/r/FigTreeChristian