“Arise! Shine! Your light has come; the LORD’s glory has shone upon you. Though darkness covers the earth and gloom the nations, the LORD will shine upon you; God’s glory will appear over you” (Isaiah‬ ‭60‬:‭1‬-‭2‬ ‭CEB‬‬).

Michel Siffre, a French geologist, spent 6 months in a darkened cave. Why? Because it was the 70s, that’s why. Eleven weeks in, he was losing his fine motor skills along with his mind.*

People need light. We depend on the sun to illuminate the earth, to nurture our bodies, to wake us from sleep. Without the sun our planet would devolve into utter chaos. In the same way—even more so—people need Jesus. Where there is darkness and death, he brings light and life. We depend on the Sun of Righteousness to illuminate the world, to nurture our souls, to wake us from apathy.

Arise! Shine! You don’t have to carry around the weight of past mistakes. You don’t have to cover up the scars of emotional wounds. Your light has come! The Lord’s glory has shone upon you! Embracing anything but light and life this Christmas would be like choosing to live in a cave.

Father in heaven, thank you for sending your Son into the world. May your glory shine through us this Advent season. Amen.

*Larry Getlen, “This Explorer Discovered Human Time Warp by Living in a Cave,” New York Post, January 22, 2017.