I write about Stuff

1 John 5:19 “We know that we are children of God, and that the whole world is under the control of the evil one.”

Since the day Adam and Eve rebelled against God, humanity has wandered in a spiritual wilderness marked by sin and sorrow. Herod’s cruel slaughter of Bethlehem’s boys is but one tragic example of life in a fallen world. Even today, countless lives remain—as Thomas Hobbes once described—“solitary, poor, nasty, brutish, and short.” Darkness and death still pervade our headlines, our communities, and sometimes even our own hearts.

The Apostle John does not shy away from this grim reality: “the whole world lies in the power of the evil one” (1 John 5:19). Yet John’s central message is not despair—it is hope. Into this darkness, God sent His Son, Jesus Christ, full of grace and truth. He came to reveal the life and love of God in human form, and to bring eternal life to all who receive Him.

With unstoppable brilliance, God’s light shines through Jesus, piercing the shadows of sin and death. Twenty centuries later, that light has not dimmed. The darkness has not overcome it. And so we sing:

God rest ye merry, gentlemen, let nothing you dismay; Remember Christ our Saviour was born on Christmas Day, To save us all from Satan’s pow’r when we were gone astray; O tidings of comfort and joy, comfort and joy; O tidings of comfort and joy.

Advent reminds us that Jesus has come—and will come again. It invites us to turn to Him with joy, preparing to meet Him face to face.

Reflection Questions

• Where do you see the reality of darkness most clearly in your life or in the world today?
• How does the light of Christ bring hope into those places of sorrow or despair?
• What does it mean for you personally that “the darkness has not overcome” the light of Jesus?
• How can you share tidings of comfort and joy with someone who feels overwhelmed this Advent?
• In what ways are you preparing to meet Jesus face to face during this season?

Prayer

Lord, our world often feels dominated by darkness. I think of the hard places in my own life, the suffering of family and friends, and the headlines that tempt me toward despair. Yet You, O God, have overcome darkness and death. Your power and light are unstoppable. May I rejoice in Your coming and carry tidings of comfort and joy to others in Your name. Amen.

Advent Blessing

May the light of Christ shine in your darkness, May His joy lift your sorrow, May His peace guard your heart, And may His coming fill you with hope, Now and until the day you see Him face to face.