Waiting With Christ
“The people walking in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of deep darkness, a light has dawned” Isaiah 9:2
While Christmas decorations have been lining the shelves since the end of October, Advent officially started Sunday, November 27th this year. Advent is such a special time in the church calendar because it allows us to experience the holiday season in a way that changes us.
For those who have never practiced it, Advent is a season of waiting and reflection. In the four weeks leading up to Christmas, we focus on hope, peace, joy, and love. Each week, we read scripture that tells the story of Jesus’s birth and practice waiting with expectation for Christmas Day, our symbol of Christ coming into the world!
I don’t know about you, but waiting is hard for me. In the days of two day shipping and online shopping, I can get almost anything I want within a matter of hours, and yet Advent reminds us how people waited for hundreds and thousands of years for a Savior.
Just when it looked like God might be silent forever, Christ came to the world to reconcile us to God. As the God of the universe, He took on human flesh and dwelt among us in order to understand us. He lived a perfect life without sin and gave Himself up on our behalf so that we might experience God’s love and presence as we hadn’t been able to do since man first sinned.
Because Christ came, we now have relationship with God! Isaiah 9 says it perfectly: before, we were walking in deep darkness; now with Christ, we are able to live in the Light!
This is the beauty of the Advent and Christmas season. As we wait with expectation, we are reminded of the goodness of God, how deep His love for us is, and what a beautiful gift Christmas really is now that the Light of the World has come.