The counter culture of Advent is that as the nights grow longer and the hours of daylight diminish the holy days of Advent gather light with each new candle lit; this accumulation of light crescendos with the birth of the one True Light that no darkness can extinguish.
Much like the Jewish season of Hanukkah, Advent is dubbed the “Season of Gathering Light.”
This year, 2020, the idea of gathering light has taken on new meaning for me. Instead of just lighting a new candle each Sunday it now entails the gathering of God’s light in each day; each moment. My commitment to the Advent Journey is to glean as much of God’s light out of each and every day.
I will linger longer with those who speak words of hope, peace, joy and love. I will dedicate myself to discerning God’s divine light, whether it is in a stranger, friend or foe. I will take note and add each new spark to my Advent jar. Much like a child catching fire flies and placing them in a mason jar, I will capture God’s light by writing it down on little strips of paper until my mason jar is brimming.
It will be a difficult Advent with the ever growing concerns over COVID-19 and the distancing of friends and family. It will be an Advent and Christmas we won’t soon forget; I am determined to wring out God’s goodness from every moment.
Will you join me? Together we can light a path for others to tread.
Gather with us at Port Elgin United Church as we mark the beginning of Advent this Sunday, November 29th, 2020 during our online service.
Blessings,
Rev. Heather McCarrel
The photo with this Blog was taken by Garidy Sanders/Unsplash.
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