Devotion
Stars, keep the watch, when night is dim, one more light the bowl shall brim. Shining beyond the frosty weather, bright as sun and moon together. People, look East and sing today: Love, the star, is on the way.
~Stanza Three: "People Look East"
Darkness teaches us to seek the light. Our eyes ache in the dim night until we can spot a flame, a spark, a star. Cold drives us to the warmth of the fire. Frost and ice make us frantic until the heater warms the car. Our God comes to us as warmth and light, fire and star. Unless you have known the cold, however, you may not feel the deep radiant heat of God’s love. Unless you have walked in the shadow, you may not see the light God is sending into the world. Christ comes to us while we are still in our sins. Christ shines most clearly for us when we are most keenly aware of the depth of human suffering, loneliness, grief and shame. Advent is a time to let yourself face the dark places in your life and in our world. Don’t be afraid of the dark. It is where you find God. “The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not overcome it.”
Prayer
God of gods, Light of lights, you are brighter than sun and moon together. Give us the courage to face the dark places in our lives. Help us bring our hidden sins and sorrows into the light of your presence so that we may find forgiveness and true light in you. Shine on our darkness and chase away the shadows so that we sing today with deep and knowing joy: Love, the star, is on the way. Amen.
People Look East Text @1931 Eleanor Farjeon, admin. David Highham Associates, Ltd. all rights reserved. Reprinted with permission