A Candle of Hope in a Darkened World, Day 5

Advent calls us to walk into the dark with a hope rooted in God’s promises, not in our fears. Jeremiah reminds us that the righteous King has come to make deserts bloom and hearts stand firm.

The Advent Journey of Hope

I have always loved the exchange between Gandalf and Bilbo. Gandalf says he is looking for someone to join him on an adventure, and Bilbo asks if he can promise he will come back. Gandalf replies, “No. And if you do, you will not be the same.” Advent begins with a similar summons. We enter a season that calls us into the weightiness of expectation and the hope of a promise spoken long ago. Advent returns each year, and each return adds new depth to our lives. As the calendar turns, we are shaped again. The rhythms and cycles of the Church Year deepen the patterns of our journey with God.

The Prophet Jeremiah speaks directly into this journey of hope. Jeremiah 33 rests within a section that promises the restoration of God’s people from Babylon. When song and joy had vanished, Jeremiah assured the people that they would sing again of the steadfast love of the Lord. His prophecy spoke to their immediate return from exile and to the future hope fulfilled in Jesus. Jeremiah promises that God will restore Israel’s fortunes, bring light into darkness, and make deserts flow with life. He gives the people a firm ground for hope in a troubling season.

The Righteous Branch and the City of God

Jeremiah announces that a faithful King will rise from the line of David. This promise offers Israel real hope in a time of societal collapse. Chapter 32 describes Jerusalem filled with evil and refusing to listen. How can a candle of hope survive such darkness? Jeremiah, the Weeping Prophet, knew that alliances and empty piety could not sustain the people. Yet he proclaimed that after the long night, a bright morning would come. God’s people would wake up in a place renamed Justice. They had known God’s justice in discipline, but they would know it again in favor.