Watch for the Light

We have quickly jumped into Advent. Advent is the time of preparation for the celebration of Christmas. The Christmas decorations are up at the church (and mostly up at home) and we are singing Christmas songs in Sunday worship. It seems early to me, but I am excited for this Advent Season.
The focus I have chosen for this Advent is the Light of Christmas. In Isaiah 9:1-7 the prophet foretells of a dawn that is coming. He says those walking in darkness will see a great light. And I want to encourage us to watch for the light this Advent season.
The light is Jesus Christ. In John chapter 1 Jesus is called the light of all people. That light is seen as God's love shows up in our lives. The light shines when we offer love and grace to those around us. This light will always shine in darkness.
The darkness is anything that draws our attention away from the light. The darkness comes as we focus on our own wants and desires. The darkness is there when we think Christmas is about gifts, gatherings and getting time off of work.
And isn't it interesting that this Season of Light begins with Black Friday. This year 138,000,000 consumers were out hitting the stores before dawn. And there were a few stories of dark events as people fought and stole to get the items they wanted.
So how do we move from Black Friday to the celebration of the birth of the Light of the World? That is what we want to do this Advent. Let's watch for the light. Let's give God our attention and notice the many places the Light of Christ can be seen during this holiday season. God's Light can show up in some wonderful places and amaze us. We can also be intentional of inviting Christ to be the center of all we do as we celebrate. So watch for the light and if you want to let me know where you have seen the light this year that would be wonderful too.