"Even as I wonder, I'm keeping you in sight...!"

"Since, then, we have such a hope, we act with great boldness..."

I've been thinking of both these verses - the latter from Paul's 2nd letter to the Corinthians (chapter 3), and the former from REO Speedwagon's '80s hit, "I Can't Fight this Feeling."

Both embody an infectious hope, and both remind me of Advent, as we wait anxiously for what comes next.

In Paul's letter, what literally follows is nothing short of the glory of God, as we are promised that someday God will "lift the veil" of whatever keeps us from seeing and embodying God's glory and goodness, as we "are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another; for this comes from the Lord, the Spirit."

REO Speedwagon has a catchier way of thinking of hope - "as a candle in the window on a cold, dark winter's night."

But each point to something bigger, something that can both be seen already, and not quite yet.

What light do you see in the distance as you traverse onward this Advent season. It is a season of waiting, yes, but it is a time of travel - not just to the Christ child "out there," but also "in here."

Blessings as we begin this winter walk together.