Excerpted from 2023 Advent Guide: A Season of Renewal, an Advent Guide for Lectionary Year B from the North Carolina Council of Churches.
Isaiah 9:2-7
The people who walked in darkness
have seen a great light;
those who lived in a land of deep darkness—
on them light has shined.
You have multiplied exultation;
you have increased its joy;
they rejoice before you
as with joy at the harvest,
as people exult when dividing plunder.
For the yoke of their burden
and the bar across their shoulders,
the rod of their oppressor,
you have broken as on the day of Midian.
For all the boots of the tramping warriors
and all the garments rolled in blood
shall be burned as fuel for the fire.
For a child has been born for us,
a son given to us;
authority rests upon his shoulders,
and he is named
Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,
Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
Great will be his authority,
and there shall be endless peace
for the throne of David and his kingdom.
He will establish and uphold it
with justice and with righteousness
from this time onward and forevermore.
The zeal of the Lord of hosts will do this.
In the path of darkness, a light shines, piercing through the shadows of hopelessness. Isaiah’s prophetic words remind us of a new light, one that brings hope and justice. This light, born of love, illuminates a path toward a world where justice prevails for all those who long to be fully valued as a part of the beloved community, especially women and the LGBTQ+ community.
On this Christmas Day, we reflect on the significance of this light. In North Carolina and across the nation, we are in the midst of darkness. Policies are targeting the LGBTQ+ community and women’s autonomy, and some of the most marginalized members of our communities are denied equality. Yet, in the same scriptures many of us are reading, we find affirmation of their full worth in God’s Kin-dom. We’re called to wholeheartedly embrace and uplift women and the LGBTQ+ community in the spirit of Christ’s love. The birth of Jesus, who embodies love and compassion, illuminates this path to justice.
This Christmas, let us remember that the light of Christ does not discriminate. It shines brightly for all, igniting a fire within us to champion justice. Together, let us embark on this journey, guided by the promise of a world where every person is seen, heard, and valued. May the dawn of justice for women and the LGBTQ+ community be our shared gift to the world.
