One of the minor characters in Tolkien’s novel, Lord of the Rings who never made it into the movies is Tom Bombadil. He is described as the “Eldest,” one who “walked under the stars at night before the fear came…” It is interesting how often we associate the darkness of night with fear and the light with safety and security. Even the small light of a candle in the window is a symbol of home and comfort. For God, light and darkness are both warm and comfortable. For us light can be a gift from God. Jesus is the light of the world and to a lesser degree so are we his disciples. We are not to cover it up with a shade but let it shine. Advent is a season of light and each Sunday we light an additional candle until we light the Christ candle in honor of Christ’s birth. From that candle we light our own candles as we sing “Son of God love’s pure light in radiant beams from Thy holy face…” We raise our candles and the whole sanctuary is flooded with beautiful, soft light, just as we hope Christ’s light will flood all the world. We hope each little light of ours will shine as well in all the dark corners of the world. Light of lights, shine around us. Light of lights, shine in us. Light of lights, shine through us until the whole world blazes with your heavenly light.