Spark of Hope!

The people walking in darkness

    have seen a great light;

on those living in the land of deep darkness

    a light has dawned.

Isaiah 9:2

     The verse above is one that I worked on memorizing with some of the Sub-Acute boys at MBH this morning. (However, I don’t know that they learned it completely, so I wouldn’t quiz them on it if you see them!) It was a part of the curriculum that we are going through, but I also think it’s a verse that’s applicable to us all as come out of the Advent season. There are times in our lives that we face darkness, and sometimes even a “deep darkness.” Circumstances change, relationships change, sickness enters in, and the list goes on and on….

     The context of this verse is that Isaiah was giving a prophecy to the Israelites about the coming Messiah. They had been struggling with their own darkness, and Isaiah was giving them hope about the light to come, which was Christ. If the season of Advent is about waiting (something with which the Israelites had become very familiar), the season of Christmas (December 25-Jan 6), is about the celebration and joy of seeing this “light,” this thing for which they had waited for so long,  finally appear!

     I am recently married, and a tradition that I have walked in to (like it or not) is that my husband’s siblings (and their spouses) all go see the new Star Wars movie together at Christmas. While possible theological ponderings on these movies may abound, this verse does kind of make me think of the “spark of hope” that is so often mentioned in the Star Wars universe. Those fighting the evil Empire aren’t expecting all of their problems to be solved in one day, they are just looking for “the spark that will light the fire” that will help them continue their fight.

     This morning, I asked the boys why we needed light in darkness, and one of them responded, “to keep us from getting hurt.” God doesn’t promise that we will not experience times of hurt, but that He will be with us. The light that is coming (and has now come in the person of Jesus Christ as the fulfillment to this promise) lets us know that we are not alone, and that things are going to get better. Christ’s coming may not completely eliminate all difficulties that we face, but His light gives us the power to walk through the dark times. The light ”that has dawned” with the coming of Christ is  something to be celebrated and shared. May we be the ones who spark the fire in the spirits of those around us! 

Discussion Questions:
- What do you do in order to "spark" the light of Christ in others? What gifts has He given you to share? 

- How does the light of Christ help you get through the seasons of deep darkness? What does that look like for you? 

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