Carrying the Light: Jan 25, 2026
We carry the light not by generating confidence but by seeking the face of the One who IS our light.

2026 God's power is revealed not in distance from human brokenness but in presence within it. Jesus' identity as the Beloved is declared before he accomplishes anything – and our identity in Christ follows the same pattern.

God's power is revealed not in distance from human brokenness but in presence within it. Jesus' identity as the Beloved is declared before he accomplishes anything – and our identity in Christ follows the same pattern.

The light of God's revelation shines for all who seek, but proximity to truth does not guarantee seeing. Those who are "supposed to know" may miss what outsiders, guided by wonder, discover.

The sign of God's power is a refugee child who survives not because suffering is prevented for all, but because God's purposes cannot ultimately be destroyed

Throughout this Advent, we've followed signs. Signs and Times. Signs and Stories. Signs and Truth. Signs and Faithfulness. Each week, a sign pointing us toward something—someone—arriving. Tonight, the sign arrives.
But here's what's strange: the sign is not what we might expect. Not a display of overwhelming power. Not a coronation in a palace. The sign is small. Vulnerable. A baby wrapped in cloths, lying in a manger.

This Advent, Jesus invites us to look again — to see the true signs of his Kingdom: the vulnerable becoming givers, the stranger finding safety, the seeker finding peace. The truth is not found in the signs we demand, but in the signs God actually gives.

God gives signs not as proof to remove doubt, but as invitations to deepen trust. Faithfulness is not understanding everything — it is responding to what God reveals, even when the full picture remains hidden.

God's vision of peace is not a reward for human achievement but an invitation to live differently now—even when the world moves in the opposite direction.

The arrival of God's kingdom demands genuine transformation, not religious performance. Heritage, tradition, and religious identity — however valuable — cannot substitute for the fruit of authentic repentance. God is doing something new, and preparation requires honesty about who we are and openness to who God is calling us to become.