Light of the World
"I am the light of the world."
John 8:12 (NIV)
"Advent" comes from the Latin word "adventus" which means "coming" or "arrival." Beginning four Sundays before Christmas, it is our season for preparing to celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ.
Years ago Bruce and I were new parents looking for ways to establish our own family traditions. We were living in another city far away from our families. Some church friends recommended using an Advent wreath as a means to encourage and facilitate family devotionals during the Christmas season. It was one of the best suggestions we ever received. We struggled with family devotionals during the rest of the year, but Advent was always different.
The Advent wreath is in the form of a circle, has neither beginning nor end, and symbolizes eternity. The greens in the wreath represent life and growth. The four tall candles represent the ages sitting in darkness under the shadow of death. The progressive lighting of the candles on successive Sundays denotes the expectation and hope surrounding our Lord's first coming into the world. Lighting the candles reminds us that Jesus is truly the light of the world and has overcome the darkness of sin, evil, and death. Three candles are purple, the color of royalty, and remind us that Christ is the King of Kings. The fourth candle is pink and represents "joy." The white center pillar candle is the Christ child candle. Lighted on Christmas Eve the Christ Child candle represents Christ's purity. When all five candles are lighted, our four week Advent season of preparation comes to a close and our celebration of Christ's birth begins.
Sunday night as we lit our first purple candle, James Bruce could barely contain his excitement. "Preparation, Preparation," he exclaimed as his Dad lit the candle. James Bruce was right. In our home, our four tall candles stand for preparation, celebration, joy, and revelation. Bruce had a short devotional Bible reading and prayer and then asked James Bruce what song he wanted to sing. He responded with "Joy to the World." We sang that hymn, plus a couple of other favorites, and then James Bruce blew out the single candle. Suddenly we were sitting in the dark. I was reminded afresh that even a small amount of light from a candle dispels a lot of darkness. How much more does Jesus- the true light of the world- dispel the darkness of this world?
Through the years, many of our family Christmas traditions- such as looking at Christmas lights and making Gingerbread ribbons- have fallen by the wayside as our children have grown to young adults. The celebration of Advent, however, continues to enrich our lives and our memories as we prepare to celebrate with joy the revelation of God's Son Jesus. Whatever your favorite holiday tradition, spend some time this Christmas season to prepare your own heart to celebrate Jesus' birth, life, death, and resurrection.
May each of us experience His peace, presence, and light during this Advent.