Things Hidden in Darkness

It is just about the end of Advent and I am almost finished reading Dickens' A Christmas Carol for the up-teenth time. It's a book I try to read every year during this time because it is so profoundly about the themes of Advent, one of which is to see ourselves for who we really are and seriously to consider where the decisions of our lives have brought us. Advent is about the approaching light that is coming into the world (whether you want to believe that is Christ or the returning sun, I think is immaterial), and acknowledging the invitation to see ourselves in that clearer light.  It is this offer which is made to Ebenezer Scrooge.  In his case, he is invited to see his life and decisions from the point of the view of the bystander, of the onlooker, and by doing so he finds redemption.  He finds real wholeness within himself and connection with his fellow human beings.

As a Christian, one of my favourite and yet most disturbing Advent passages is from the first letter of Paul to the Corinthians: when 'the Lord comes [he] will bring to light the things now hidden in darkness and will disclose the purposes of the heart' (1 Corinthians 4.5).  What would we do differently if we knew, without a doubt, that one day our thoughts and actions — no matter how private or secret we might consider them to be — would be exposed for all to see?  Or, what if we were made to be spectators of our own lives, watching ourselves as we make decisions, take actions and interact with others?  How differently would we behave, if we could really see our actions and choices in a different light, a light different from that of our own personal and often short-sighted viewpoint? Would we agree with ourselves as we watched ourselves, or would we simply look away in disappointment, shame and embarrassment?

As a spectator of his own life, Scrooge often found himself embarrassed, ashamed and disappointed; watching his life from the perspective of the outsider he found it wanting. I think that many of us would find the same. Sometimes to get a better perspective, we have to stand back and let others show us what they see. Sometimes we have to stand back and see what we think we know, in a different light; see it in a clearer light, a truer light.