First Wednesday • Advent 2022

November 30th, 2022

SHADOW GODDESS

As I was reading Jan Richardson’s book today, she made a reference to a sculpture called, “Shadow Goddess.” To my dismay, I search for well over an hour looking for what this piece of art actually looked like but found no such piece. I found variations of the title but nothing that really caught my attention. Jan goes on to say that it was the name of the sculpture that interested her the most, her actual words were, “it enchants me.”

After spending entirely too much time tracking down the elusive art piece, I decided to go to a better source for material, the Bible. From the very beginning God’s creation had darkness. Darkness was never about fear and all the negative emotions that have invaded our consciousness. The darkness that is now upon the world is Lucifer and his fallen angels with him. This world is his domain, our home is in heaven with God. None of this means we should just throw our hands in the air in defeat, we are not defeated. Jesus defeated death and darkness that hides in the shadows trying to manipulate us into believing his lies. Hold onto the truths that God promised and Jesus delivered and His promise to return for us some day.

“In the beginning when God created the heavens and the earth, the earth was a formless void and darkness covered the face of the deep, while a wind from God swept over the face of the waters. Then God said, “Let there be light”; and there was light. And God saw that the light was good; and God separated the light from the darkness. God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And there was evening and there was morning, the first day.”

—Genesis 1:1-5—

“And God said, “Let there be lights in the dome of the sky to separate the day from the night; and let them be for signs and for seasons and for days and years, and let them be lights in the dome of the sky to give light upon the earth.” And it was so. God made the two great lights—the greater light to rule the day and the lesser light to rule the night—and the stars. God set them in the dome of the sky to give light upon the earth, to rule over the day and over the night, and to separate the light from the darkness. And God saw that it was good. And there was evening and there was morning, the fourth day.”

—Genesis 1:14-18

God’s Promise of a Messiah

“Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold, the young woman shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel”

Isaiah 7:14

“For a child has been born to us, a son given to us, and the authority is upon his shoulder, and the wondrous adviser, the mighty God, the everlasting Father, called his name, “the prince of peace.”

Isaiah 9:5

On of my favorite verses is, “For now we see in a mirror, dimly, but then we will see face to face. Now I know only in part; then I will know fully, even as I have been fully known. And now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; and the greatest of these is love.” —1 Corinthians 13:12-13.

This verse has comforted me on many occasions and is perfect for this advent season, HOPE, FAITH, LOVE (joy I’m sure easily fits into this as well) they abide and the greatest is love. A love from the very beginning of creation, God’s love for His children, God’s promise of a Redeemer, the Birth of Jesus. This is the season of anticipation waiting for the arrival of Jesus. The story does not change from year to year, it is the story that changed us year after year. ~Peace to you during Advent~

~Charlotte, Seeker of unexpected Comfort, Happiness, Joy and Patience.

References:

https://www.biblegateway.com/

https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Gen.1.1,Gen.1.2,Gen.1.3,Gen.1.4,Gen.1.5&version=NRSVCE

https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Gen.1.14,Gen.1.15,Gen.1.16,Gen.1.17,Gen.1.18,Gen.1.19&version=NRSVCE

https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1Cor.13.12,1Cor.13.13&version=NRSVCE