December 11: A Great Light Has Entered the World
♫ Music:
Day 13 - Friday, December 11
Title: A GREAT LIGHT HAS ENTERED THE WORLD
Scripture: Isaiah 9:2
The people that walked in darkness have seen a great light: they that dwell in the land of the shadow of death, upon them hath the light shined.
Poetry:
Paradox of Flight
by Jolene Nolte
Low tide at Spanish Banks, a lone gull swoops
low, its light and hollow frame nearly wingtip
to wingtip with its transitory double.
Then it descends into the still tidal pool, mounts
invisible currents upward—tethered
together by an unseen stipe.
A GREAT LIGHT HAS ENTERED THE WORLD
As the lit elevator descended deep underground, the brothers looked at each other and shared a conspiratorial smile. This was the adventure they had been waiting for—every boy’s dream was to go down the pit wearing a hat and carrying a lamp. The father had other plans. He was determined to end the boys’ romanticism of life as a miner.
Thud. The elevator stopped at the bottom of the shaft and immediately all the lights were extinguished - pre-planned by the father and his colleagues to show the boys the reality of absolute darkness—no hope, no comfort. Nothing. Silence. The boys began to cry and ask for the lights to be turned back on—they groped around for the father’s hand to reassure them. At the father’s instruction the stipe of the mineshaft was illuminated once more; light and life flowed and hope was restored.
This hope of a restored light is seen in today’s verse. As soon as light shines in the darkness, the darkness is forever changed; the present situation is altered. The people walking in darkness, no longer need to grope around, they are able to see. The people that dwell in the shadow of death are able to truly live. Light changes the present circumstance - yes; but it also offers hope of a restored future.
For the Troyeville Community in South Africa that hope is symbolized in the light installation Ithumba. A mineshaft of light, a stipe, reaching from their community upwards, a sharing of collective hopes cutting through the darkness each night.
The word ‘stipe’ in today’s poem comes from a Latin word meaning post, stalk or stem. A structure delivering sustenance, offering life. For the Christian, our ‘unseen stipe' that rod of Jesse onto which we are grafted, ‘tethers’ us to our only sure and certain hope —the great light—Jesus.
The boys in the story were my Dad and his brother. My Grandfather’s plan worked and neither of his boys became miners. They needed to understand the horror of complete darkness to fully comprehend the rescue of the light. My Grandfather, a miner in the Welsh valleys from the age of 14 always claimed that the darkness of the soul without Christ was similar to that experienced underground—absolute. Praise God that the presence of Jesus, Emmanuel, extinguishes this darkness immediately and forever!
Prayer:
O Lord God Almighty,
You have taught us to call the evening, the morning and the noonday one day; and have made the sun to know its going down: Dispel the darkness of our hearts, that by your brightness we may know you to be the true God and eternal light, living and reigning forever and ever.
Amen
Sian Draycott
Instructor, Torrey Honors College
Biola University
For more information about the artwork, music, and poetry selected for this day, we have provided resources under the “About” tab located next to the “Devotional” tab.
About the Artwork and Artists:
iThemba Tower (several views)
Street artist “r1” in conjunction with local community
2016
7000 recycled plastic liter bottles
20 meters high on an abandoned cell tower
Spaza Garden in Troyeville
Johannesburg, South Africa
iThemba Tower is a community art project spearheaded by street artist r1 and is located at the Spaza Garden in Troyeville, a suburb of Johannesburg, South Africa. This 20-meter-high permanent art installation was constructed with over 7,000 recycled plastic bottles affixed on an abandoned cell phone tower. Each plastic bottle contains a message centered on spreading light and hope written by a member of the community, as well as an LED light which flickers in the evening. “iThemba” means trust and hope in the isiZulu language. At the start of the project, the intention was to propel hope, fuel prosperity, educate the community about waste, and foster understanding of the diverse culture of the community. In addition to collecting the bottles, workshops were facilitated at schools about the necessity of recycling while offering waste recyclers an opportunity to change perceptions of informal waste collection.
htps://whatsoninjoburg.com/post/ithemba-tower-of-hope/
https://10and5.com/2017/07/01/ithemba-tower-public-art-momunment-landmark-collective-hope/
Music #1:
“Dawn“ from the album Dusk / Dawn
Lyrics:
In the dark, in the cold I know you now
I know you now
Performer/Composer/Lyricist:
John Lowell Anderson is a singer/songwriter/composer based in Los Angeles. Growing up by the ocean has played a guiding hand in his music and inspires flowing melodies and familiar rhythms. His works range from guitar picking-driven Americana folk songs to challenging film scores. He has scored 2 films that won the grand prize at the Reel Stories Film Festival, one of which has also been shown at BAFTA; St. Louis International Film Festival; and the Marina Del Rey Film Festival at which it won the Social Impact Award. John has performed his singer/songwriter catalogue throughout Los Angeles and is currently working on his next full album.
https://www.premiumbeat.com/artist/john-anderson
http://johnlowellanderson.com/
Music #2
Messiah, HWV 56, Pt. 1: 11. The People That Walked In Darkness
Lyrics:
The people that walked in darkness
have seen a great light:
they that dwell in the land
of the shadow of death,
upon them hath the light shined.
Messiah Performers/Musicians/Lyricists/Composer:
Unless otherwise noted, all Messiah performances are by Margaret Marshall, Catherine Robbin, Anthony Rolfe-Johnson, Robert Hale, Charles Brett, Saul Quirke, the English Baroque Soloists, and the Monteverdi Choir conducted by Sir John Eliot Gardiner. Biographical information for the performers and musicians can be found by clicking here.
About the Poet:
Jolene Nolte recently graduated from Regent College in beautiful British Columbia, Canada, where she completed a poetry creative thesis and a MA in Theological Studies with an emphasis in Christianity and the arts. She is also an alumna of Biola's English program and the Torrey Honors College. She currently works as a freelance writer/editor and is poetry editor for Curator Magazine. When she is not working with words, you can find her cradling a mug of coffee, on long walks, and/or engaged in meandering conversation.
https://www.curatormagazine.com/author/jolene-nolte/
About the Devotion Author:
Sian Draycott
Instructor, Torrey Honors College
Biola University
Sian Draycott grew up in Wales and graduated from Oxford University with an MA in Theology. An MA in Classical Studies from the Open University (UK), developed her research in Greek tragedy and comedy as seen in the relationship between Euripides and Aristophanes. In addition to team leading with IFES (International Fellowship of Evangelical Students) in Portugal, Sian has experience as a high school teacher in the UK and an ESL tutor. She loves talking to people about Jesus and watching Wales play rugby.