Light and warmth from within

From The Pastor’s Desk

When I was in my 20’s, my friend and I did a good deal of winter hiking. We would layer our clothes, put on parkas and snow pants, strap on snowshoes or crampons, and head out to climb a mountain. When out for long periods in below freezing temperatures, you quickly become aware of how precious warmth is. When the winds blow and the snow falls, the only thing capable of generating heat (outside of a fire) is yourself. The layers of moisture wicking fabrics, wool, fleece, and windproof clothing don’t make you warm: they keep you warm, by retaining the body’s natural heat.

There is a lesson here for us as we enter into winter. As the world around us grows colder and darker by the day, we are obliged to find sources of light and heat. One source for that lies within, deep within our souls, where we feel the presence of God. The warmth and illumination from God can sustain us as the shadows lengthen, as the snows fall, as the winds of winter bite.

This month we begin our celebration of Advent, a time when we remember God entering our world in a new way, in the form of a small child. We celebrate that, into the darkness of the world, into the chilliness that humanity often feels for one another, Jesus came, asking us to shine like lanterns on a hill. This month, as we gather with friends and family, as we sing old songs and tell old stories, may we share the warmth that lives and dwells among us with all we meet. In spite of the cold, in spite of the chill, may we be the ones to offer light and warmth to those journeying through the winter wild.

—Pastor Jon