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Hope

As we await the coming again of Jesus Christ, we begin anew today by lighting the candle of hope; one of five candles. In weeks coming we will light the candles of peace, love, and joy – and finally lighting the Christ candle on Christmas Eve.
But Jesus has already come, taking on flesh as a baby and growing to be a man, fully human and fully divine – truly a mystery.
He lived on this earth, teaching and loving us, then dying for us but defeating the grave for us, and ascending to the right hand of the Father.
That is why we await him again – for him to return and to make all things new.

Isaiah 2:2-4 says:

In days to come
the mountain of the Lord’s house
shall be established as the highest of the mountains,
and shall be raised above the hills;
all the nations shall stream to it.
Many peoples shall come and say,

“Come, let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, to the house of the God of Jacob; that he may teach us his ways
and that we may walk in his paths.”
For out of Zion shall go forth instruction,
and the word of the LORD from Jerusalem.
He shall judge between the nations,
and shall arbitrate for many peoples;
they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks; nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more.

We light this candle of Hope as a reminder that he is with us and yet not fully with us. A mystery, to be certain.
So as we continue in worship, let live into that mystery – that the God who made and created all good things, including us, lowered himself to take on flesh because of his great love for humanity.

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