All of a sudden I am sitting in darkness. Yep earlier tonight I had just settled in to watch “The Big Bang Theory” when all of a sudden my lights and tv flickered off. But they did not flicker back on, they stayed off. I thought perhaps I had tripped a breaker so I took the candle that was burning and worked my way down into my basement where I found the breaker box. Unfortunately that did nothing. So I worked my way back upstairs and found my way back to my phone so I could call the electrical company. They told me that it was a power outage that affected over 2000 costumers and it would be a couple of hours before it got restored. (It was about an hour and a half.) I was thankful that I had agreed to go out with some new friends for their Thursday evening Tavern Talk.

As I sat in my very dark house, I lit several candles. It is amazing how candles produce just a little light; and that little light can help us see. I didn’t need many candles to see just a little ways. But I am thankful for those candles that produce just enough light. And as I sat in the dark I couldn’t help but think of Jesus as the “light in the midst of the darkness.” Jesus truly comes in the light in the midst of the darkness especially when we need it most.

The Advent season is soon upon us and Advent always reminds me of the beauty of this precious Son born in a manger in Bethlehem who comes as the light in the midst of the darkness. For some reason, I find myself reflecting on this more during the season of Advent. Perhaps because the days are shorter and it gets darker earlier. Perhaps because there is so much consumerism that skews our view of what is important. God sent God’s son into the world to be the hope in the midst of the despair and to be the light in the midst of the darkness.

Like the little candle, we don’t need much to see God. God is continually the light in the midst of the darkness!