More General Thoughts: Advent

When I was writing this post, I foolishly forgot what got me thinking about the whole concept of light/darkness and hope/despair.

It seems counter-intuitive to focus on elements of despair or hopelessness during this season. After all, what we really need is someone to encourage us, to give us hope. We need someone to shine a flashlight into our darkness and let us know that Christ will come again. We don't think that we really need any reminder of the apparent hopelessness around us.

At the same time, it is beneficial for us to be reminded that our very awareness of the darkness is evidence of God's grace at work in our lives. We know that there is something better because we can identify what is wrong. We know that there is sunlight because we can see the shadows.

Switchfoot's latest CD, Nothing Is Sound,has a track entitled "The Shadow Proves the Sunshine." The lyrics remind us that in our times of darkness, we can rest confident that God is watching over us. The shadow before us simply serves to prove the light of God. It is His grace that allows us to recognize the darkness, and it is His grace which sustains us through the darkness.

Crooked souls trying to stay up straight
Dry eyes in the pouring rain well
The shadow proves the sunshine

To scared little runaways
Hold fast to the break of day light were
The shadow proves the sunshine

Yeah Yeah, shine on me

May the shadows only serve to remind us of the light of God.

Grace and Peace,

PastorJon