The Coming of the Light

In the hustle and bustle of this Advent season moving quickly toward Christmas morning, all the world seems to be longing to sing a song of joy as we await the birth of our Savior.  In recent days, the church building at Independent Presbyterian Church has been filled with church members skilled in the arts of flower arranging, decorating and cooking readying for the annual Holiday House Tour benefitting mission ministries of IPC. The sanctuary and Narthex were covered in greenery and all manner of red flowers. The Parlor was shimmering in silver and white with the twinkling lights of the Chrismon Tree aglow as well.  The Great Hall filled with the fragrance of spice tea, cookies, cakes and other delicious treats. Five beautiful homes opened their doors to the community.

As that wonderful two-day event drew to a close, we readied the Parlor for a different kind of celebration. On two afternoons this week, the 59 children who are a part of our STAIR (Start the Adventure in Reading) program and their tutors came together to hear the Christmas story, enjoy a visit with Santa and his Elf, and receive gifts and love. We were also able to greet their families with some food to help over the long Christmas break when these families, struggling to make ends meet as they live in generational poverty, have to go without the benefit of the free and reduced breakfast and lunch programs the children receive at school.

We also learned that several of these families were living in the dark and the cold because their utilities had been disconnected. We were able to help pay their bills and restore their utilities. On Wednesday night, we welcomed the Magnificent Seven children to church as we do every Wednesday night, providing a meal and Christmas crafts and love. This family, also living in poverty, will struggle this Christmas as well, so we are helping with food over the holidays and some assistance to buy Christmas gifts for the seven children.  A number of our members also helped provide Christmas gifts for the women and children living at the First Light Shelter downtown, our Children's Ministries department provided them with warm gloves and took our children to sing carols for the guests, and our Knitting Ministry provided over 60 hand-made scarves for the guests as well.

This season, our work in Community Ministries is always filled with poignant reminders of the two worlds that exist side-by-side in our community--the world of abundance and plenty, of safety, comfort and security , the world of children who know almost limitless opportunity, the world where all of our basic needs and most of our wants are met, the world of more than enough lives side-by-side with a world of poverty, hunger, insecurity, fear, frequent crisis, deprivation, limited opportunity and unmet need. The world so many of our neighbors in poverty live in every day, where so many of our beloved children live every day, is a world that knows much about darkness.

We all know darkness, of course. The darkness of sin, of grief, of illness, of family turmoil, of trouble and pain, but some among us live in darkness every day while for others the darkness is a painful interruption of a more light-filled life.  Whatever form our darkness takes, however deep or pervasive it may be, the Christmas message is that a Light has come into the darkness, and the darkness will not overcome it.

In this Advent and Christmas season, may we all give thanks for the Light of Jesus Christ, which is more powerful than all the darkness of the world. And may we all, his followers, seek to reflect his light and let it shine through us into the darkness around us.  Our acts of love, compassion, kindness and justice may be the only light some will be able to see this season. So, may we shine in grateful response to the One whose light has given us life and joy and hope and love. Merry Christmas!