Several times in the last few
weeks I’ve seen the same words repeated in the news, that we’re heading into a “dark
winter” because of the pandemic.
Not exactly what you’d call
inspirational.
Those words weigh heavy,
especially when we already know so many suffering and grieving because of the
pandemic as well as other reasons.
But we’re not the first ones to
be faced with looming darkness.
In first century Bethlehem they’d
been in what might have seemed a spiritual dark winter for quite some time.
It had been over 400 years since
the prophets had spoken. Israel had long waited the promised Messiah. And maybe
more than a few were beginning to wonder about those earlier prophecies. But in
ways that no one could understand at the time, God was setting the stage for
Jesus.
As the Apostle Paul said, “. . .
when the set time had fully come . . . “, God showed up. Light began to spark
and the darkness split, first with the announcement to Zechariah and Elizabeth
about their son, John the Baptist, who would point the way to Jesus. Then God
dispatched an angel who appeared to Mary to announce she would give birth to the
Messiah. On the night of His birth, Jesus shattered the darkness with His appearance
and His coming was proclaimed to shepherds by angels who shone with the glory
of the Lord. And let’s not forget it was a luminous star that guided the wise
men to Bethlehem.
Dark winter, take that.
Some may be wondering today with our
potential dark winter if God is still at work.
Yes, yes, and yes.
Jesus’ words are these: “I am the
light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have
the light of life.”
We have a duty to act responsibly
for others and ourselves, and to that end, there may be sacrifices we have to
make. I hope we are willing to make wise choices. But no matter what happens,
there is a light that can never be extinguished, and His name is Jesus.
During this Advent season, let us not focus on the darkness, but let us focus on the light. Jesus will see us through, and no darkness can ever overcome Him.
My new novella, A Season for Everything, has just released. The ebook is available HERE and the print version is currently available HERE.