The Light of Hope

The elevator had only two stops on it, ‘up’ and ‘down’. Since we were ‘up’ it had only one way to go, down. And down we went. In a matter of seconds, we had descended to the bottom. When the elevator came to a stop, the interior door opened, then the exterior door. Stepping out, I entered a strange new world hundreds of feet below the surface of the earth. Standing in a deep coalmine, a blast of cold, moist air hit me.

After passing a safety course on the surface, underground I was weighted down with all of my safety equipment; heavy water proof boots, emergency oxygen canister and a battery pack attached to a safety belt and harness, thick gloves and a company coat covering multiple layers of clothing. With my hardhat on, I quickly switched on my light. Stepping out of the elevator, I felt like Neil Armstrong, ready to declare, “One small step for man, one giant leap for mankind”. However, I restrained myself. To me, walking on the floor of the mine was as foreign and alien a world as walking on the moon. But, for the man leading me, this was not a strange world, but a very familiar, comfortable place.

I enjoy seeing where members of my church work. This day I was with Bill Benline, one of my Elders who is the General Mine Foreman of the American Energy Corporation’s Century Coalmine. Located outside of Powhatan Point, this mine is an independent operating subsidiary of Murray Energy Corporation.

Hundreds of feet below the surface, Bill began showing me around. We walked a short distance from the elevator to his battery powered golf cart to begin the seven-mile trip to the area where the men were mining the coal. Riding the golf cart on top of the rails made the trip bumpy, but much faster than walking. Ribs lined the way with cutouts pealing off every 1000 yards. Safety markers and signs were everywhere. And so was the darkness. The darkness was thick. It seemed to swallow up every bit of light.

Underground can be a confusing, dark world. However, I think more often than not, we live and work in a darker world than the world in which the coal miners work. Too often we choose to live in a dark world. Even when the sun is shining brightly above us, it seems we stumble around in the darkness. We live in the darkness of fear. We live in a world empty of grace, void of forgiveness, where love is vacant and hope is missing. We live in a world where we forget that the promised Messiah came chasing away the darkness of sin and allowing us to live in the new light of joy. Sometimes we forget that Isaiah prophesied and promised that the Messiah would come, dispelling the darkness of sin. Isaiah declared, “The people walking in darkness have seen a great light, on those living in the land of the shadow of death, a light has dawned.” (Isaiah 9:2)

Jesus came. Jesus fulfilled the waiting promise. Jesus is the light Isaiah prophesied. Jesus is giving us the light of grace, giving us joy. Jesus is our light shining in the dark world of sin and rejection.

With the season of Advent and Christmas approaching, we see Christmas lights coming on just as it’s getting dark outside. We place candles in the windows; bright lights decorate our Christmas trees. Light displays cover our shrubs and decorate our houses. Everything is wrapped in light. These lights, dispelling the darkness of winter, are also a powerful Christian symbol reminding us that Jesus is the light of the world. When we switch on our Christmas lights or drive past light displays, we remember that just as these holiday lights illumine the darkness around us, Jesus is illuminating our lives.

Walking through the coalmine I met brave coalminers who daily work in a dark and dangerous world hundreds of feet below the earth’s surface, with the rock ceiling, just a few feet above their heads, held in place by a network of steel fencing. Darkness is all around them. Yet they live and work in light. Each worker is bathed in the light of his fellow workers. And so they are never in darkness. This Advent season, remember Jesus is the light of the world. No longer do we have to live in the darkness of our past mistakes or sins. No longer are we burdened by guilt or weighted down with heavy burdens. Now we are forgiven! This Advent season, remember Jesus words, telling us that we “are the light of the world.” (Matt. 5:14) Not only during Advent, but everyday remember to be a light for someone else. Show forgiveness. Extend mercy. Offer hope. Bring joy. Let Jesus’ light shine on you, in you and through you.