Today is the start of the Advent season on the Christian calendar–the time of year when we commemorate the blessing that Jesus left his throne in heaven to step into this cruel and broken world so he could begin to make it right. This is the ultimate disruption of the darkness by the arrival of the Light of the World.

Just like Jesus and Satan, Light and darkness are not two equal and opposite forces. When a light gets turned on, darkness is eliminated. Darkness cannot counterattack the light. Darkness has no way to overcome light. Darkness is powerless, since it is really nothing more than the absence of light.

This analogy of light and darkness resonates with me, which is probably why I write about it regularly. It’s also a recurring theme throughout the New Testament. In fact, this week in the Daily Audio Bible’s journey through the Bible in a year, we encountered the Apostle Peter’s take on darkness and the light:

At Christmas, Jesus came as the Light to eliminate darkness from the world–an ongoing process that is sadly not yet complete. He invites us to step out of the darkness of the world and into his marvelous light, to participate with him in bringing his light into the world.

I think this is why I am so fond of Christmas lights–they brighten even the longest, darkest of winter nights. They symbolize the opportunities we all have to eliminate darkness in our daily lives. They are beacons of hope for a brighter future.

Let that be our goal as we head into the Christmas season, to be bringers of light into the darkness of this world. Let us usher in hope for everyone we encounter in the coming days, show them the bright future that awaits when we step into God’s marvelous light.