Advent Devotional – December 17

A spark of the divine

I recently attended my 30th college reunion at Earlham College, a Quaker school in Indiana.  The campus has always been beautiful, with huge, old hardwoods. Saturday was gorgeous with that bright, brisk streaming autumn light that seems to set everything glowing and the leaves swirled in mini-tornadoes.

The Quakers believe that there exists in each of us a spark of the divine. In their educational institutions, they seek to nurture that light in whatever way they can. Coming back to this place, I remember that I felt accepted for myself and learned to accept others as they were and where they were, as God created us. During my visit, I had a chance to participate in an alumni choir. We learned that a fellow alum and singer, a woman several years my junior, had recently died. She was described as one of those vivacious, everyone-loved-her  people who, even though she was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis a few years after graduating, was a bright spot in the lives of many. Her choice for her memorial service song was “What Wondrous Love is This.” She knew what the light was about.

We have such potential for growing and giving, for glowing with the light inside of us, given by God to illuminate the small space we inhabit. In this time of preparation for the Light of Christ to enter again into our world and lives, nurture the light in one another. Embrace your own gifts and let love shine.

Holy Lord, let the light flickering in us burn bright to bring your glory and love to the world. Amen.

by Gretchen Witt