ADVENTures 6Advent is patiently waiting for THE Light, who is Jesus, to shine on us, in us, and through us. It heightens the Christmas theme of THE Light coming into the world, of the dawn breaking upon us (Cf. Lk 1:78), of a people sitting in darkness seeing a Great Light and on those who dwell in a land of gloom a light shining (Cf. Is 9:2).
But our Advent, our waiting for THE Light, is different from the Advent of the people in the Old Testament. We wait for THE Light not as if HE isn't here yet. Jesus has already been born, He lived, died, and resurrected already. THE Light already came into the world (Cf. Jn 1:9, 1:19, and 12:46). Sadly though people loved darkness rather than light (Cf. Jn 3:19). But darkness did not overcome THE Light (Cf. Jn1:5). THE Light is already here: Jesus. He is above us, beside us, below us, in front of us, and at our back. BUT IS HE WITHIN US? Are we so illumined by Jesus from within us so that wherever we go, whatever we do, whoever we are with, we radiate with THE Light who is Jesus The Lord? And...IS THE LIGHT WE RADIATE TO OTHERS REALLY JESUS OR DO WE TRY TO OUTSHINE JESUS AS IF WE CAN?
But we hold this Treasure, THIS Light, who is Jesus, in earthen vessels (Cf. 2 Cor 4:7). We are vessels made of clay! We are fragile. We crack. We break. And so easily, don't we? Let our Advent journey therefore include:
1. Finding the cracks in our life.
2. Not denying, much less cursing, our cracks - though we don't intend to create more cracks in our life - but even in them see that God, the eternal and loving Potter, is working in and through us.
3. Letting the light of Jesus come in through those cracks. Yes, let those cracks be used by Jesus to penetrate any dark corner of our life with His light.
4. Handling one another with more care, for each of us is as fragile as an earthenware.
ADVENT SHOULD NOT BLIND US FROM OUR CRACKS. IT SHOULD RATHER MAKE US MORE HUMBLE TO RECOGNIZE AND ACCEPT THEM, BUT TRUSTING, COURAGEOUS AND GENEROUS TO ALLOW JESUS, the LIGHT, TO PENETRATE THE DARKNESS OF OUR WITHIN THROUGH THEM.
You don't have to journey in darkness, you know. You don't journey to THE Light as if THE Light has not shine on you yet.
