The first candle of Advent is called the "Hope Candle."It is reflective of the overall theme of the season, which is preparing for Christmas. Even in a world full of hate, division, bias, and disease, it can be hard to hold on to hope.
It's important to remember that the biblical version of "hope" is different than a desire for our life circumstances to change. It's more like waiting for God to appear in the midst of all your stuff. It’s the tension of living through the junk of "now" while holding onto the expectation that the "not yet" of God can break into this world and give us peace.
The arrival of Jesus is evidence of this in-breaking of God to our world.
This is a good verse to recall as we walk through the first week of Advent, from Romans 15:13
"May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace, as you trust
in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy
Spirit”
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