Topic: Light

Advent is a time of joyful expectation. Sometimes, we have to look a little harder and wait a little longer to find joy in our lives. The prophets remind us that our waiting is not dreary—it is filled with joy because God is near. And Advent reminds us of who we each truly are: A beloved child of God. God knows us intimately—our fears, hopes, and dreams. Our identity is not found in success or failure, but in being a beloved child of God. That identity fills us with joy, and that joy spurs us to action: to bring light to the darkness, to comfort the afflicted, to share the Good News that the true Light has come into the world. Emmanuel—God with us.