A people in darkness: let me add a personal word. This phrase touched me directly when in 1945 we were driven in endless and desolate columns into the prisoner-of-war camps, the sticks of guards at our sides, with hungry stomachs and empty hearts and curses on our lips. But many of us then, and I was one, glimpsed the light that radiates from the divine child. This light did not allow me to perish. This hope kept us alive.
A people in darkness: today I see before me the millions of the imprisoned, the exiled, the deported, the tortured and the silenced everywhere in the world where people are pushed into darkness.
This divided world is increasingly capable of turning into a universal prison camp. And we are faced with the burning question: on which side of the barbed wire are we living, and at what cost? The people in darkness sees the great light. To this people — to them first of all — the light shines in the darkness. To these people the child is born, for the peace of us all.
Jurgen Moltmann
The Power of the Powerless
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Each day of Advent, we will post here a brief meditation on the Coming of Christ; please come back throughout Advent for reflections, art, music, and more.
You’re invited to join us for worship on this Fourth Sunday of Advent: “Prepare for the Promise” at 11 am.
Illustration: “The people who walk in darkness have seen a great light” by violetkiwi on Instagram. Used by permission.
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