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Advent Day 2

 2.  Isaiah 9: 2–7

The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; those who lived in a land of deep darkness — on them light has shined.  You have multiplied the nation, you have increased its joy; they rejoice before you as with joy at the harvest, as people exult when dividing plunder.
For the yoke of their burden, and the bar across their shoulders, the rod of their oppressor, you have broken as on the day of Midian. For all the boots of the tramping warriors and all the garments rolled in blood shall be burned as fuel for the fire. For a child has been born for us, a son given to us; authority rests upon his shoulders; and he is named Wonderful Counsellor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. His authority shall grow continually, and there shall be endless peace for the throne of David and his kingdom. He will establish and uphold it with justice and with righteousness from this time onwards and for evermore. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will do this. 


I've never been afraid of the dark - but then again, I'd never really knew what proper darkness was until I moved out into the country.  When you grew up in the town, like I did in Lisburn, you never really know what true darkness really is!  With traffic and street lights at ever 25m, you were never far from the light.  When we moved to Benburb, we still had a few street lights close to the rectory, whereas we don't have any within almost half a mile of the rectory in Brookeborough.  When our lights go out now, we can truly say that it's dark!!

When Isaiah was given his vision of the coming Messiah, he described the Light of God coming into the world.  This is the perfect image of God coming into a dark world, filled with evil and despair - and this is still as relevant today.  In today's world, God's return could happen at any time, and we will trust in his promise that he will be our "Wonderful Counsellor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace".  


Collect

Almighty God, Give us grace to cast away the works of darkness and to put on the armour of light now in the time of this mortal life in which your Son Jesus Christ came to us in great humility; that on the last day when he shall come again in his glorious majesty to judge the living and the dead, we may rise to the life immortal; through him who is alive and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever.


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