This Advent, our Golden Verse comes from Isaiah 9:2, “The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; those who lived in a land of deep darkness—on them light has shined.”
Isaiah was writing during a time fear, and the people’s uncertainty was tied to the lack of a strong and faithful king. The pall of darkness, metaphorically, weighed heavily on their souls, but there was a growing hope that God would send a leader who would restore Israel and bring everlasting peace. We understand that leader to be the Christ, the Prince of Peace, who’s birth we will celebrate, even as we await His return.
Through the weeks of Advent, we will explore this theme through the lens of four Isaiah passages and juxtaposed against the Four Freedoms paintings by Norman Rockwell.
‘The paintings trace [their] inspiration back to the 1941 State of the Union address by President Franklin D. Roosevelt where he outlined four democratic values he considered essential to preserve: freedom of speech, freedom of worship, freedom from want, and freedom from fear. These notions had neither an immediate nor resounding impact on the American public, but 11 months later their significance was transformed by the United States’ entrance into World War II.’
Like Rockwell’s time, Isaiah prophesied during a time of impending war, the onset of war, and the imperfect peace that ensued. Through this lens, and during the following weeks, we will discover:
Isaiah, Four Freedoms, FDR & Rockwell
- December 4th | Isaiah 11:1-10
- Freedom From Fear through the Peace of Christ
- December 11th | Isaiah 35:1-10
- Freedom From Want brings us the Joy of Christ
- December 18th | Isaiah 7:10-14
- Freedom of Speech expresses the Love of Christ
- December 24th | Isaiah 9:2-7
- Freedom of Worship gives us the Light of Christ
- Do Unto Others, by Norman Rockwell
In order to prepare yourself for these Sundays, we invite you to click on the links above and review each painting before we reference it in Worship.
Let us all use this Advent season to prepare for light, encounter the light, and share the light.
Blessings,
Tom