Then there appeared
to him an angel of the Lord, standing at the right side of the altar of
incense. When Zechariah saw him, he was terrified; and fear overwhelmed him.
But the angel said to him, ‘Do not be afraid, Zechariah, for your prayer has
been heard. Your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you will name him
John. You will have joy and gladness, and many will rejoice at his birth, for
he will be great in the sight of the Lord.
Luke 1:11-15a
“You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot
be hidden.” (Matthew 5:14) One of my favorite authors always signed his books
with this: “Love and Light!” followed by his name. I have adopted that as the
way I sign my name to most cards, letters and yes, even my book! Matthew 5:14
begins with this truth: “You are the light of the world.”
In my role as a bereavement counselor, I have taken this verse
to heart. I believe fervently that my purpose as a counselor is to “be a light”
for these beautiful people in their time of darkness. I know that the light of
Christ is the shining light of peace and love. My job is to help these grieving souls to find that light in
their lives again. Sometimes my work with them is in one of our “Journey of Grief” groups…and many times, in an
individual session. But no matter
what setting I find myself in with grieving people, I am always in awe of the
way God has brought us together to listen, love and begin healing. As the weeks
go by in their journeys through grief, I get to observe people who were in such
darkness emerge into this beautiful light of
reconciliation!
Let us, like Zechariah, Elizabeth and John, rejoice in the hope
brought by God through the Light God has brought into this world.
Good and gracious God, thank you for calling us to be witnesses
of all you do, and to be a beacon of hope and light in the darkness of grief.
Amen.
Sylvia Havlish is Coordinator of Bereavement Ministries for
Lutheran Congregational Services.
No comments:
Post a Comment