A Holiday Haiku in Question

In an attempt to savor this Christmas season, I decided to participate in Wendy Speake’s challenge to write a holiday haiku given a new prompt each day. For the prompt, “Advent Light,” I wrote the following:

Crescendoing Light

Amidst Diminishing Dark

Child of faith will see.

I am a child of faith, but I have a hard time seeing.

The darkness doesn’t seem to be diminishing but spreading, infecting in every way imaginable.

Terrorism, family strife, racial injustices, human trafficking, unidentifiable and untreatable illnesses, childhood cancer, the poor getting poorer, the rich refusing to share, the “United Nation” divided on every poll, refugees stranded, my tongue as vicious as a viper.

Every day, all around me and inside me, the darkness seems to grow.

Is it true that the Light is crescendoing? Or is it a Pollyanna pipe dream of someone who can’t deal with reality?

We have been here before.

Noah, a wicked earth, Creation gone wrong, chosen wrong.

And God wipes it all away.

But saves Noah, saves a remnant!

Later down the timeline of history, darkness.

400 years of silence after God’s people are exiled.

No light. No words from God. No manifest presence of God.

But then light BURSTS into history. A star. His star. Jesus’ light.

“We saw HIS STAR when it rose and have come to worship him, said the Magi from the East” (Matthew 2:2).

“When they saw the star they were overjoyed!” (Matthew 2:10).

Crescendoing Light

“The people living in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of the shadow of death a light has dawned” (Matthew 4:16).

Crescendoing Light

“Jesus came to shine on those living in darkness” (Luke 1:79).

Crescendoing Light

Jesus’ life is the light of all mankind (John 1:4).

Crescendoing Light

“The true light that gives light to everyone was coming into the world” (John 1:9).

Crescendoing Light

“The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it” (John 1:5).

Crescendoing Light

Diminishing Dark

When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life” (John 8:12).

Crescendoing Light

Diminishing Dark

“I have come into the world as a light, so that no one who believes in me should stay in darkness” (John 12:46).

Crescendoing Light

Diminishing Dark

The night is nearly over; the day is almost here (Romans 13:12).

Crescendoing Light

Diminishing Dark

For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of God’s glory displayed in the face of Christ (2 Corinthians 4:6).

Crescendoing Light

Diminishing Dark

“But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light” (1 Peter 2:9).

Crescendoing Light

Diminishing Dark

“…you will do well to pay attention to it … a light shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts” (2 Pet 1:19).

Crescendoing Light

Diminishing Dark

“God is light; in him there is no darkness at all” (1 John 1:5).

Crescendoing Light

Diminishing Dark

I am beginning to see.

“For now we see only a reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face” (1 Corinthians 13:12).

One day, I will see fully.

Crescendoing Light will annihilate darkness in full.

“The city does not need the sun or the moon to shine on it, for the glory of God gives it light, and the Lamb is its lamp” (Revelation 21:23).

“There will be no more night. They will not need the light of a lamp or the light of the sun, for the Lord God will give them light. And they will reign for ever and ever” (Revelation 22:5).