After all the rain that fell Sunday night into Monday, I thought perhaps the Delaware River would be high. So I got in my car this morning, and drove to a footbridge over the Delaware a few miles from my house. It was indeed high — not flooding, but very high and very fast. I watched as logs and other detritus floated by. The sheer power and speed of the river was invigorating and a little bit scary. Sometimes the Holy Spirit can be just like that. Ever notice that every time an angel appears to someone in the Bible, the first thing they usually say is “Do not be afraid”? God’s presence, God’s light, isn’t just comfort. It’s also risky vitality. This river was a reminder to me of the riskiness, the vigor, the power of my Baptism.

This evening I attended my son’s elementary school band concert. I saw two signs of God’s light there. There were two separate bands, the beginner and intermediate. My son is in the beginner band – he’s only been playing his instrument for a few months. The intermediate band is kids in their second and third year of band. The two bands played separately, and the difference in their ability and quality was remarkable. The beginner band was what you’d expect, very simple songs with a whole lot of sour notes, and a whole lot of energy. The intermediate band, however, was already showing some signs of skill and talent. It was so easy to see the immense progress these kids make in just a year or two. I was excited at the thought that my son could be at that level next year if he sticks with it. God blesses our work and practice, and makes it into art and music. I glimpsed God’s light in that sign of progress tonight.

And the other place I saw God’s light at the concert? Well, one of the songs the beginner band played was called “Hot Cross Christmas Cookies.” That was just so funny and so surreal – God has a good sense of humor.

Bonus points for my older kid — I was sitting with them in the car after the concert, waiting for my wife and son. As we sat there warming up, they they belted out the lyrics to “Dominick the Donkey.” I don’t know if that was God’s light or not, but it was fun.

That’s three (four?) places where I saw the light of God today, the third Tuesday of Advent.

Image by Csillagvirág from Pixabay