If I am honest, this year’s Advent candle of hope felt dim. Maybe it’s because we cancelled worship due to a snowstorm, but I think it’s a bit more than that.

The world seems so dark. Darkness for me has taken on the form of division. Churches, denominations, our countries and the world seem to be tearing apart. But it’s not the darkness that has me struggling.

In the midst of the darkness the light of Christ should shine brightest. It’s in the darkness that Christ’s ambassadors should shine the brightest. And yet, similar to our church’s Christ candle when we forget to fill it with oil, the light is still there, but it’s nothing more than a flicker. Rather than burning bright, many of us have remained content in the divisive darkness.

But not everyone and not everywhere. Flickers of light surround us if we keep attentive. For me, the flickers can be found in my wife’s grace, in the simple text I received from my seventeen year old son this week that ended with, “I love you,” and in friends who have surrounded me during a difficult season.

Surprisingly to me, I have found a flicker of hope in the Reformed Journal. Being given the opportunity to contribute regularly alongside such amazing writers is such a gift. The fact that so many of you take the time to read some of my thoughts is humbling. Even more, the fact that some of you even take the time to engage and comment, especially on my recent musings engaging Scripture, gives me hope.

I have hope when you agree with me, for I realize that all is not lost :-). I have even more hope because of you who have pushed up against my ideas. The civility and depth, the curiosity and humility, and the grace with which you’ve engaged me and/or each other is a subversive act of light in the midst of the polarized darkness. For the light does not shine brightest in the certainty of our answers but in the posture and love we demonstrate in our differences.

Please consider donating to the work of the Reformed Journal so RJ can continue to be a flicker of light in the midst of the darkness.

Click on the purple box below. You’ll go to a page that explains the many ways you can support RJ financially. Give online — safely and easily. Send a check. We really hope you’ll take up our special But Wait…There’s More! offer. Three, great new books mailed to you during 2026 as a token of our gratitude for your generous support.

Thank you!

Header photo by Ehteshamul Haque Adit on Unsplash