Through Stained Glass: Advent Word a Day-Light

“Ring the bells that still can ring
Forget your perfect offering
There is a crack in everything
That's how the light gets in.”
― Leonard Cohen

Light.

Some theologians have said this about the Incarnation:

"Jesus did not come to change the mind of God about humanity (it did not need changing)! Jesus came to change the mind of humanity about God" or even more succinctly as "God does not love us because we are that good, God loves us because God is good."

Jesus, for John, is the revelation of God’s love, and so the imitatio dei then becomes an imitatio Christi, an imitation of Jesus (Marcus Borg).

The light we are waiting for will be a gentle revealing kind. Not one that burns or blinds us into shame or guilt. The light shines not because of appeasement, but because of love.

Why are we so resistant to this grace, mercy, and love?

I wonder if it is because we don’t delve deep into our own darkness. I wonder if our hesitation and resistance is because we’ve not been shown how to do this difficult, but transformative work. Instead of instilling into our developing psyche a low anthropology, we need to encourage the exploration of our selves. We teach how we are full of light--as are all things in creation.

Brene Brown says it better and differently when she writes, “Owning our story can be hard but not nearly as difficult as spending our lives running from it. Embracing our vulnerabilities is risky but not nearly as dangerous as giving up on love and belonging and joy—the experiences that make us the most vulnerable. Only when we are brave enough to explore the darkness will we discover the infinite power of our light.”

God moved toward us in the incarnation. Not away. God did so in a way to rescue us, not to condemn us. In the world, and in us, God sees greatness—a light worth shining. Advent is that season we trim our wicks and tilt them toward the Light that’s always been and will always be. Indeed, we are not windows, but lamps in a world consumed and fascinated with darkness.

So, beautiful and beloved child of God…

Let

Your

LIGHT

Shine.