The Beginning of Advent

 

In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. The earth was without form and void, and darkness was over the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters. And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light. And God saw that the light was good. And God separated the light from the darkness. God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And there was evening and there was morning, the first day. (Genesis 1:1–5 ESV).

 

Advent is a Christian season of preparation and anticipation for Christmas. It typically begins on the Sunday nearest November 30th and lasting until December 24th. It draws our attention to the coming of Jesus Christ, focusing on themes like hope, peace, joy, and love, which are often symbolized by lighting candles on an Advent wreath. This month we will be using various passages of Scripture to draw us toward a deeper understanding of the significance of the birth of Jesus.

 

Today’s reading, which are the Bible’s first words about the earth, are that everything was “formless and empty” and that “darkness was over the surface of the deep”—a poetic way of saying that the world did not exist before God started creating. Perhaps you have been in a place without any light. It can be so dark that you can’t see your hands even when you touch your nose. The Bible begins with a darkness that is deeper than that. It’s the deepest darkness the Bible writers could imagine: the empty darkness of the world not existing.

 

As we begin Advent, looking forward to the light of Jesus’ coming, there is something very comforting about the Bible’s beginning. However heavy and impossible our current circumstances may feel, the Bible reminds us that our story begins with the God who creates life in the midst of the deepest darkness imaginable. In other words, with God there is always hope! That is the central message of Christmas!