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In Him was life, and the life was the Light of men.
About a year ago I wrote this poem, a sonnet, inspired by John 1:4, “In Him was life, and the life was the Light of men.” I never imagined it would become a piece of art, but this year I wanted to frame a copy for myself to hang with our Christmas décor to remind myself throughout the Advent season of the whole story…not just presents wrapped under a tree, not just cozy drinks and festive music, not even the familiar snapshot of a silent night over 2,000 years ago…but a reminder of the whole story… For that reason, the poem begins in the garden Eden, moves speedily through to that thrilling night when the Light of the world became flesh and dwelt among us, carries forward to the joyous salvation and hope for tomorrow the Light brings, and closes with a sweet glimpse into the garden of eternity.
The poem reads...
shall we ever in the first light wander,
the good morn once despised to see again?
veiled in a cloak of trees we erred fonder,
than the warmth of Your sun to linger in.
oh what grace the promise of new daybreak,
for grim paths we traveled in darkest night.
how could a flicker cause the dead to wake?
yet this wee Babe brought life and glorious light.
to save we prison dwellers from our chains,
the true star breaking forth in glorious rays.
oh sun and moon you’ll dim, but He remains,
our everlasting light, our hope, He stays.
our hearts will thrill and ever sing His name.
and until then remember that He came.
It's Our Love Story
One of my absolute favorite things about Scripture is that it is one unified story from beginning to end. The story begins in a garden and ends in a garden. And the in-between is beautiful love story between God and me (and between God and you!)
Not of my great love for Him, but of His great love for me. This is the enchanting story that inspired "sonnet 1.4."
This sonnet is comprised of three quatrains and one couplet. Each of these four sections tells a part of our love story: the garden, the holy night, the glorious day, and the eternal garden.
the first quatrain (the garden):
In the beginning, God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light. He saw that the light was good; and He separated the light from the darkness. God created a man and a woman and rested them in a beautiful garden to cultivate and tend. God saw that this was good, and He walked with the man and woman in the garden allowing them to enjoy His glorious light. Until one day, the man and woman saw something they viewed fonder. And taking their eyes off the light, they continued in darkness.
the second quatrain (the holy night):
But the prophet Isaiah foretold of a time when, “The people who walk in darkness will see a great light; those who live in a dark land, the light will shine on them,” (Isaiah 9:2). And then one night, not in a flashy form, but as a small flicker - a wee Babe - the Son of God came to us. And in Him the promise was fulfilled, “In Him was life, and the life was the Light of men,” (John 1:4).
the third quatrain (the glorious day):
Then, the Lamb of God was pierced for our transgressions yet rose again and overcame our darkness finally and forever bringing us a sure and steady hope for tomorrow. And although He returned to the Father, He left the Spirit to tarry with us. Yet, our Jesus will come back, as He came the first time. And this time, He will raise us with Him for all eternity. “This hope we have as an anchor of the soul, a hope both sure and reliable and one which enters within the veil,” (Hebrews 6:19). The sun, the moon, and all the stars may fade…but the Light of our Lord will remain forever.
the couplet (the eternal garden):
And on that day, we will sing and dance amidst the garden trees and water streams in the warmth of God's everlasting Light, “and there will no longer be any night; and they will not have need of the light of a lamp nor the light of the sun, because the Lord God will illuminate them; and they will reign forever and ever,” (Revelation 22:5).
My Heart for You
My prayer for you is that you remember that Christ came. He loved you enough to empty Himself and to die in your place. And when He returned to the Father, He left the Spirit in His place to comfort you and be with you, within the walls of your heart, until the Lord Jesus comes again to gather us unto Himself. And when that day comes our time with Him will have no end, and we will rest in the warmth of His light forevermore.
This hope we have as an anchor of the soul, a hope both sure and steadfast. Yet this hope is one that I need to be reminded of daily, especially during this season of Advent. If you could use reminding of our blessed hope, too, you can purchase this print in the Desert Sage Shop!
“May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope,” (Romans 15:13).