Read Luke 1:67-79.
Luke 1:67-79, known also as the Canticle of Zechariah, is very special to me. I read it often when I pray, and I always find myself drawn to that image of the dawn from on high, shining down upon us. It does sometimes feel as though the world is full of darkness — and maybe it is. But Zechariah’s prophecy tells us that, though the world has been this way, it will not always be so.
A change is coming. That change started with Jesus, who changed the lives of those around him even before he was born, and that change is still working its way towards us today. The course of human history is fraught. It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to see there is conflict in our world. So, yes, there is darkness. But the promise of Advent is that there is a light which God has given to us — Jesus Christ, the light of the world, who shines in the darkness and leads us to peace.
If you’re like me, that peaceful world might sound more like a dream than a reality. So, this Sunday, I challenge you to dream with me. Dream of the world of peace, and imagine what it will be like to feel the light of the dawn on our faces.
Pray
O Lord my God, I confess that a peaceful world often seems far away, and impossible. Help me to dream of a world without conflict, violence, or strife. Help me to see the coming of the dawn, even when darkness abounds, and fix my heart ever on the promise of your peace, so that one day we all may be one. Amen.
Will Clancy
Student, Pres House (University of Wisconsin, Madison)
Words for Waiting 