There is a collect for purity where we pray, in part, “O Lord, to whom all hearts are open, all desires known, and from whom no secrets are hid…”
This is Advent.
Yet, this is a dangerous prayer. We don’t want everyone, even the Lord, knowing all our thoughts. There are some embarrassing things among those secrets!
This is Advent.
We have to face the darkness. We need to see the darkness in our own lives before we truly realize the beauty of the light of Christ.
My reading in Revelation 6 today is full of bad news! We want things to get better and better and Jesus comes along with the message that things are going to get tougher. (Which is probably why conservative Christians have put most of Revelation in the future.)
We don’t want more bad news. Yet, things often have to get worse before we realize the depth of our darkness and we ready for the solution that is the light of Christ.
We must face the darkness within us. It is easy to point at the darkness we perceive in others. It is our darkness we must face. Our hearts need to be open. Our secrets need to be unearthed.
This is Advent.
Darkness. Then light.
Apprentice 2 Jesus 