The Light of the World

(The Light of the World by William Holman Hunt - found here)

“Holman Hunt’s picture is full of symbolism, all of it taking us more deeply into Advent reflection. There are three light sources in the painting, but they all cluster around Jesus. Behind him is the dawn light, struggling to make its way through the dark woods, towards that central figure. Then there is a lantern that Jesus is carrying, a bright, homely light to welcome wandering travelers. And finally, there is the light that shines around Jesus’ head, his own inner brightness, from which the other lights take their meaning. Behind Jesus are threatening, twisted trees, shedding rotting fruit to the ground. They are the tree that Adam and Eve ate from, and the tree on which Jesus died, and all our long family trees, waiting to be lit up and filled with life again. The lantern that Jesus is holding throws a reddish light back on to his cloak, which makes it look similar to the wood on the door. After all, Jesus said that he is the door or the gateway (John 10:7). So here we have two doorways, facing each other, as we wait to see whether one will open to the other.

Holman Hunt paints the crucified and risen Jesus: the marks of the nails are visible in the hand that is poised to knock, and he still wears the crown of thorns. But Jesus’ willingness to be vulnerable, to lay himself open to us and await our verdict, is there from the moment of his birth. Human birth, particularly in the ancient world, is such a risky business, with no guarantee of safety, and Jesus is born to such unlikely people and is dependent on them for food, for nurture, for safety, for love. So many things could have gone wrong at every turn of Jesus’ human life; at every moment, he stands and knocks and waits for us to offer what we can, to open the door, and then the light will come streaming in.

In Advent, God does not first confront us with our sin; instead, we are invited to prepare to make God welcome; we are invited to take the initiative, to find our best selves, to be willing to open the door to the baby in need. God does not come into the world with a battering ram, but with a cry: open the door.”

~Jane Williams