Dear Family of Our Redeemers,
We are in the season of the Church Year called Epiphany. It is a word that we may not understand or consider important. The meaning, “to make known, to reveal, to shed light on”, is worth our attention.
It was more than two years ago that my old green minivan died and I was forced to replace it. I chose to go with a new car that had only moderate “bells and whistles”. Last evening, a new “red light” started flashing and I am still in the process of trying to understand it and turn it off. There are other signals, alarms, and informational messages that I will probably never get clear in my head.
The season of Epiphany is meant to be a time for us to understand the “new thing” that God did for us in sending Jesus to be our Savior. It will take more than a few Sundays to grasp the awesome blessings of this Gift, we will spend the rest of our lives trying to comprehend and get the full benefit of what God has done for us in Jesus.
“The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light!” This familiar theme has echoed from all the candlelight services on Christmas Eve when the emotional moments of “Silent night, holy night” were experienced in many languages and settings around the world. No matter how advanced or successful we may feel, there are areas in our lives where darkness persists. We need for God’s light to break in when we cannot find our way.
What are the areas of darkness in your life? What are the areas of darkness in my life? Where does the light need to shine? Are the days too hard? Are the nights too long? There is definitely darkness in the world of 2022 even as there was when the star pierced the night sky on the hillsides around Bethlehem. War, hunger and starvation, illness, poverty, disasters in nature, death, families in conflict and other tragedies continue to persist. Presidents, kings, world leaders, and elected officials around the globe continue to work long into the night to try to bring light in every place of darkness but with limited success. Where will we find hope?
God has lighted our candles for us! The Light has come! We are walking in the Light! No matter how much the darkness tries to dominate, it will not win. The Light of the world has come! Jesus is the Light of the World! WALK IN THE LIGHT!
Blessings on your journey of Light,
Interim Supply Pastor, Fred Mai
