Friends,

Arise, your light is come! The spirit’s call obey;
show forth the glory of your God, which shines on you today.

We sang those words this past Sunday in worship, but it seems hard for me to hold on to them just a few days later. On the anniversary of the riot at the US Capitol building, we seem to be no closer to living in the light of Christ. As COVID cases surge across the country, we are facing another dark time overshadowed by the Omicron variant, not the shining light of Christ guiding us into a bright future. Anxiety, fear, despair, and hopelessness seem to be the touchstones we are following as we stumble in the dark.

Arise, your light is come! All you in sorrow born,
bind up the brokenhearted ones and comfort those who mourn.

I refuse to be finished with Hope just yet! It’s just now Epiphany; surely the light of Christ can be found shining into our world, in spite of political stubbornness and the ever-present viral danger. So I’m going to keep looking for that shining light and I’m going to keep singing that hymn from Sunday:

Arise, your light is come! The mountains burst in song!
Rise up like eagles on the wing; God’s power will make us strong.

Peace,

Pastor Jack