A Flickering Wick

Today concludes our week of looking at the theme of “light.” Tomorrow we enter the final week of Advent, looking into the darkness, knowing that light is about to dawn.

In Matthew 12, Jesus reorients his hearers, disciples and religious leaders, to what it means to practice the Sabbath day. He healed a man’s hand on a day when it was forbidden to do work. He brought light to a person’s darkness, in the face of the impossible.

Tomorrow, we begin our final week of Advent. We will venture into the darkness. But there is a promise in the work of Christ as told in Matthew 12. Jesus recalls the prophet Isaiah who says that the Light who comes in God’s name would not snuff out the flickering wick of hope that was burning among the people. Instead, he would be the one who would find light even in the darkest places. He would be the one who would bring healing even when it is forbidden.

I wonder, in this season of light and joy and songs and cheer — where are we forbidden to bring light? Where are the flickering wicks of life around us? Who is in such need that they are in danger of being snuffed out? Are we willing to venture into their darkness and call out transformation, healing, grace, and light and offer it ourselves?

The light is soon dawning. But we must venture into darkness first. The darkness does not need to suffocate us, overcome us, or scare us. For it is in the darkness, in the places where despair and sadness seem to reign, that the flickering wick will not be crushed, but will burn evermore brightly.

Let us venture on together.

Peace,

Seth