This year our church published a book of daily Advent devotionals written by various members of our church. The book was entitled "Songs of the Season" and writers told about their favorite Christmas carols and how those carols had brought a greater understanding of the season.
I thoroughly enjoyed the devotionals and reflected on how each carol had blessed the Christmases of my own life. I also reflected on various carols and tried to decide what might be my favorite. One song kept coming to my mind, The only problem was that it wasn't really a song that we traditionally think of as related to the Christmas season. That song was "The Light of the World Is Jesus."
The whole world was lost in the darkness of sin,
The Light of the world is Jesus;
Like sunshine at noonday,
His glory shone in,
The Light of the world is Jesus!
Come to the Light, 'tis shining for thee;
Sweetly the Light has dawned upon me.
Once I was blind, but now I can see:
The Light of the world is Jesus.
At this time of year, we see lights everywhere that remind us of the coming of the true Light that John tells us about in the prologue to his Gospel. There are trees adorned with lights, streets that are lined with lights, homes and businesses are outlined with lights. One of the favorite activities of the season is to drive around and look at all of the beautiful lights. Each Sunday of the Advent season, we light candles on the Advent wreath.
I wonder how many of us remember that the lights of this season are a symbol of the one true Light, Jesus, who brought light into the darkness of this world? As we light the candles on our advent wreath, the four candles remind us that Jesus brings hope, love, joy, and peace into the world. It is true, "The whole world was lost in the darkness of sin, the Light of the world is Jesus!"
During this season, may each and every one of us know the joy that Jesus, the Light of the World, brings.
