Arise, shine, for your light has come,
and the glory of the LORD has risen upon you.
For darkness shall cover the earth
and thick darkness the peoples,
but the LORD will arise upon you,
and his glory will appear over you.
Nations shall come to your light
and kings to the brightness of your dawn. (Isaiah 60:1–3 NRSV)
In The Voyage of the Dawn Treader, part of the Narnia series by C. S. Lewis, the Pevensie children undertake a harrowing sail into “smooth, solid blackness.” This elusive darkness increasingly drains them of hope and fills them with a growing ominousness—anxiety, fear, even despair. They begin wondering if they will ever escape the haunting dark or have a future beyond this bleak reality. But just as all hope seems to be lost, there comes a sign – an albatross. “It circled three times round the mast [. . . and] called out in a strong sweet voice what seemed to be words; though no one understood them. [. . .] Except Lucy knew that as it circled the mast it had whispered to her, ‘Courage, dear heart,’ and the voice, she felt sure was Aslan’s, and with the voice a delicious smell breathed in her face.”
I imagine that many of us, perhaps even the whole world, have at some point felt the weight of darkness like the Dawn Treader crew. And now we are also in the darkest time of the year. Yet, there comes a sign—in fact many signs, if we, like Lucy, have ears to hear and eyes to see.
What signs of hope might we recognize, be grateful for, and celebrate this season? How might we pay attention, even in the dark, to the Spirit circling around us, whispering, breathing God’s Presence – in our lives and neighbourhoods?
In the Christmas story, there are many who are attuned to the light and ‘arising’ – Elizabeth and Mary, poor shepherds, foreign magi, and old prophets (Simeon and Anna). Their postures, in contrast to the rulers of that time (e.g., Herod), were not about strategies, tactics, or being in control. On the contrary, they were ‘simply’ being attentive and responsive to God at work ahead of them, in them, and through them.
I wonder if that’s the posture required for the church right now. Can we let go of our agendas, assumptions, and anxieties? Can we, like the people in this world-changing story, discover again how to receive and respond to, trust, rely on—and arise—in and for the sake of The Light?
“God said, ‘Let light shine out of darkness.’ He made his light shine in our hearts. His light gives us the light to know God’s glory. His glory is shown in the face of Christ” (2 Corinthians 4:6 NIRV).
Jesus said, “I am the Light of the world” (John 8:12).
Jesus came to earth to shine!
Changing the darkness, yours and mine
As the flick of a light
makes a room instantly bright
As fireflies’ twinkles
tickle twilight
As myriads of stars
gleam patterns at night
As neighbours’ kind faces
With welcome invite
God’s Presence, glory, now in sight. . .
Creator-Spirit in us, shine!
Jesus’ Light come, joy Divine.
Free us from fear to walk all our days
In the light of Your grace and sacred ways
Right where we are, in ordinary time,
To discover indeed, even here, You shine.
Karen Wilk is on the NAB Missional Initiatives Team. She lives in Edmonton, Alberta.