My daughter Hayley has brought a steady stream of Disney princesses into the Englert home. This past year she dressed up as Rapunzel from the movie Tangled for Halloween. Needless to say we know way more about this movie than I would choose.
Rapunzel has magical hair that can heal people. She does not know that she’s really a princess taken from her family. The evil villain, Mother Gothel, has hidden her in a tower so that she can benefit from her magical hair. Each year on Rapunzel’s birthday, the King and Queen, her real Dad and Mom, send out sky lanterns intended to help her find her way home.
SPOILER ALERT – Rapunzel escapes and in a scene where she watches the sky lanterns close to the castle, she sings this song:
And at last I see the light
Tangled
And it’s like the fog has lifted
And at last I see the light
And it’s like the sky is new
And it’s warm and real and bright
And the world has somehow shifted
All at once everything looks different
Now that I see you
Advent and Christmas remind us that the light of Jesus changes everything. It changes how we live. It changes how we see others. In some ways Jesus coming to earth is our lantern leading us home — helping us truly understand our identity as children of the light.
Ephesians 5:8 opens with, “For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light.” The rest of the passage outlines what it looks like for us to walk in the light rather than darkness.
As we close this first week of Advent, I hope you have an illuminated view of the Gospel. The light of Jesus moves us from purposelessness to purpose. It moves us from meaninglessness to meaning. It moves us from self-centeredness to loving our neighbor.
PRAYER
Lord, during this Advent season help me to grow in walking in Your light.
PRACTICE
Read over Ephesians 5:8-20. Identify 2-3 ways that Jesus would challenge you to grow in walking in the light.
Photo by Jordan Madrid on Unsplash
