Grace and peace to you in the name of Jesus Christ,
I don't know about you, but for me, 2020 has been a year, unlike any other. To say that the pandemic has changed things is a gross understatement. Our daily patterns and rhythms are kerfluffle. We have had to mask, isolate, cancel, stop hugging, and postpone our lives. As we bring the year to a close, infection rates and death tolls continue to rise.
If that wasn't enough, 2020 dealt us more than a virus. Long festering injustice surfaced, demanding that people of conscience pay attention. Violence flared as hatred expressed itself in city streets and on social media. The economy bounces all around, benefiting some but hurting most. Unemployment and underemployment have exploded under COVID. Partisan politics separate family, friends, and church communities. Civil discourse seems to be gone; we quickly vilify and demonize 'the other' as the enemy in one-hundred-twenty words or less.
Whew! Any of these things would be enough to cause distress and despair. Combined, they have made us weary. In many ways, 2020 has been one long night of exhaustion. And the year isn't over yet. Anxiously, we might wonder, 'what's next?'
In part, the answer to that question is "the holidays." Thanksgiving and Christmas are times for traditions, gatherings, nostalgia, and sentimentality. Tis the season for us to celebrate and be merry. Each of us has a list of things that we do, people we see, food that we eat, and the places we visit.
Unfortunately, since COVID won't be taking a holiday vacation, we will need to adapt, postpone, and cancel things that make the season familiar and dear. More grief for our weary souls. More silent tears of the heart for us to cry.
In the midst of it all, the season of Advent arrives with promise and hope. Often, the glitz of a commercialized Christmas overshadows this simple four-week season of preparation. Instead of being big and bold, Advent waits quietly for the coming of Christ. Advent trusts in God's promise of restoration and new life. It is a time where lights shine, defiantly pushing back the night.
After the year that we have endured, it seems to me that we could all use a little Advent comfort and hope. It is time for us to embrace the gentle gifts of God's renewal, peace, and justice.
Light Dawns On a Weary World is a brand new daily devotional that I’ve written with the intent of opening our hearts and minds to the blessing of Advent. For four weeks, we will welcome the dawn of God's coming light as we consider themes of assurance, comfort, hope, and courage. It will be an opportunity for our spirits to grow and strengthen.
As part of the online resources that St. James Lutheran provides to its community, you can sign up for this Advent devotional without cost to you. Feel free to share this link with family and neighbors as a sign of our welcome to the broader community.
Sign up today and then starting on November 29, the First Sunday of Advent, you will receive an inspirational message in your inbox. It will come in time for your favorite morning beverage. It will contain a reading and a prayer that you can use as you light your daily Advent candles. I have designed each day to take no more than five minutes, so even the busiest among us can participate.
I look forward to celebrating the gift of Advent with you and your family. Blessings to you during this week that we raise our voices in thanks.
in Christ’s Light
Pastor Walt