Armor of Light

Almighty God, give us grace to cast away the works of darkness, and put on the armor of light...

from the Collect for the First Sunday of Advent.

Apparently I am not the only one who is ready to go to bed at 6:30 pm these days, because it is so dark and cold. It is the oddest thing...feeling as though it is 9pm and discovering it is only 6! I have found this situation to be a great analogy for Advent and this season when we wait and watch for the Light. Succumbing to darkness literally and figuratively is dangerous.

The phrase "armor of light" is a good one...we need a protective covering to keep the darkness at bay. However, the armor we pray for during the season of Advent is not external like an armadillo's. The armor of light we are praying for is the internal protection of the Light of Christ. Just like chain mail and breastplates protect the soldier from external attack, so the Light of Christ protects from internal darkness.

In the Isaiah reading appointed for today, the prophet says, "Come let us walk in the Light of the Lord," a reminder that the Light of the Lord can guide our path and lead us to the Christ Child. And so in this Season of Light, this time of waiting and watching, I pray that I might see with the eyes of the Light of Christ through the darkness of the season and of the state of the world...that the Light might be my armor, protecting me from the external as well as internal darkness. And when the darkness comes at odd times, I might remember to polish the armor of Light so it shines enough for all the world to see.