My first ever collaboration post - how exciting! :-D T his photo was taken by my friend Michael Nyatigi, whose photography work you can see more of, over on his photostream website, and I offer a reflection on it and on the theme for this first week of advent: hope. On the first Sunday of Advent, we light a candle as a symbol of Hope.
Advent is a time for hope; expectant and prayerful hope, confident in the love of God made present with us always because he came down to earth for us. It is a time for provocative possibilities that take us beyond the world as it is, to the world as it could be - no, should be! A place of healing, restoration, justice and peace; wholeness, completeness and life in its fullness with nothing to detract from it or hold back from us. It is a time for us to take hold of that confidence and boldness brought from that hope we have in a faithful, wonderful God, and use it to "walk in the light of Lord" (Isa 2.4), even when we are surrounded by darkness. A time when we ask ourselves: how will we experience peace in this busy build-up to Christmas; how will our Advent be holy and whole-making; what behaviours do we need to change to be part of the peaceful world that God intends? We need to live intentionally; demonstrating the love of God we know to be true. As people living in the hope of God, we can depend on God to provide the light we need. To shine like the sun, bringing warmth and comfort and light, after the cold, dark night. And if we can live like the truth of Advent IS true; that Emmanuel - God-with-us - broke into the world and lives with and in and through and for us today, then we will see him shining and coming to us in every encounter, as we prayerfully wait and hope for it to come more. "The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it." (Jn 1.5)
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
Like the Facebook page to keep up-to-date with blog posts!
AuthorI'm a recent Cambridge Theology graduate now studying for a Masters in Biblical Studies and blogging about all sorts of things! I'm interested in faith, Church, theology, social action, the great outdoors and being creative, and all of those things - along with many more - come through in my posts!
Categories
All
Archives
April 2020
|