ADVENT - DAY 24 - LIGHT IN A MUCKY WORLD

Advent - Day 24 - LIGHT IN A MUCKY WORLD

ANTICIPATING GOD IN THE CHRISTMAS SEASON (A Daily Advent Devotional)

Over the next few days till Christmas I would like you to take a journey with me in anticipation.  Let's daily look at the events leading up to the birth of Christ with a sense of anticipation of His arrival into this world and into our lives.  (Inspired by the Book "The Miraculous Journey" by Marty A. Bullis).

Advent - Day 24 - Light In A Mucky World.

And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth. (John 1:14 ESV)

We're almost there - It's  Christmas Eve!

We've walked through a season greeting neighbors with "Merry Christmas," of sharing the season in our communities, of worshipping in our churches.  We've been involved in acts of community and neighborness: giving gifts, making cookies, singing carols, and decorating our homes for the enjoyment of others. All of this has reminded us of the joy and necessity of living in community.  God created us for relationship, reflecting the very being of the Trinity.

We don't forget for long, however, that relationship is difficult in our darkened world. We live in a mucky place: full of lies, divorce, anger, abuse and pride.  We've all had our shared of getting beat up by living in relationship, and we've all had our share of not respecting those around us.  Even on Christmas Day, there will be hard looks, sore feelings, disappointment and more mixed in with joy and celebration.  The healthiest of us keeps this to a minimum, while many of us continue to fail miserably at living with other people.

We need to hear John's words this day, "The Word became flesh and lived among us... full of grace and truth."

Christ enters into the muck to live with us, to be in relationship with us.  He is the only thing that we can see that is full of grace.  He's bursting with God-speak, bursting with generosity, never tired of our whinning, never beating us up.  He's a light for living with our families, grace for sticking at it with our neighbors, balm for our relational hurts.

The light has come into our world.  He has asked us to be a light to our neighbors, to all we are in contact with.

In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven. (Matthew 5:16 ESV)

As we spend time opening presents and watching the lights tomorrow, let us remember that we, in whom Christ dwells, are gifts to a dying world.  May we be illuminated more and more by Christ, so we can become good friends and neighbors - persons with whom others long to be in relationship.