When I picked this Advent book, I didn’t look close to see there was a 5th week covered in it. But there was a week for Christmas, and what a great way to celebrate and draw close to God as we rejoice in Christ’s birth! The chapter is titled Sharing the Light: Where is the One? I immediately thought about how we are called to share Christ in the world, the one about whom we are rejoicing, but then the question part of the title made me ponder what that might have to do with our rejoicing.

We light the final candle of the four weeks of Advent: Love. I often find myself looking around the world and thinking hate is everywhere and people can be so mean, but then something reminds me in little ways of the unfailing love God has for us and I am grateful.

So, what might we see in the message in the chapter today?

In the third week of Advent, we light the candle of Joy.
Now the third week in the book (While We Wait) that I am using to focus my Advent blog this year, is titled “The Wonder of Being Sought.”
The title itself made me think about the fact God is always wooing us, working in us, and pouring Grace over us even when we are unaware (Prevenient Grace).

“We often use the word hope as if hope were a fragile thing…The people in the Bible reveal a hope worth risking for, hope that pulls people from the present into the future.”(14)
Hope from one person can change everything, and that is so powerful.