Candle of Hope

***This is the first in a series of Advent Meditations***

We’ve all heard the quote, “The light at the end of the tunnel.” That phrase signifies hope after a long period of despair. After a time of struggling through, relief finally arrives.

And in a world filled with darkness, we all need a little light.
Whether it’s a great flame that shows us how to win back what we lost,
Or a powerful beacon intended to scare away potential monsters,
Or a few glowing bulbs that reveal to us the hidden truth of our past,
We all need something to help us get through the night,
Even if it’s just the tiniest glimmer of hope.
(from Desperate Housewives)

“The people walking in darkness have seen a great light;
on those living in the land of the shadow of death a light has dawned.”
Isaiah 9:2

“In Jesus was life,
and that life was the light of men.
The light shines in the darkness,
but the darkness has not overcome it.”
John 1:4-5

Hope is a light shining in a dark place. As we begin the Advent season and begin lighting candles, we light the first candle and celebrate the light and hope we have at the end of the tunnel. Jesus is our Light and our Hope in this dark world.