awaiting the light

Our Advent series ‘Soon and Very Soon, Practicing Advent’ asked questions about the season before Christmas. This past Wednesday we discussed the different birth narratives of Jesus: the Gospel of Matthew and the story of the wise men, the Gospel of Luke and the story of being born in a manger in a barn. The Gospel of Mark, which begins with prophecy of Isaiah and the announcement by John the Baptist of Jesus’ coming, and the Gospel of John announcing the Word, the Light, and the Word made Flesh.

They are different stories, written for audiences of Jews and non-Jews drawn to the Gospel of Jesus. The listeners seek the interpretation that makes the most sense to them, that makes plausible of this impossibility: God takes human form, as a weak, vulnerable squawking babe in his mother’s arms.

Thus we await one more week

To see the light shineth in the darkness, which the darkness comprehended not (John 1:5).

Come on December 23^rd for the Pageant, December 24^th for the Candlelight Service, or December 25^th as St Cyprian’s community gathers and remembers the birth of Jesus.