The First Light of Hope
Dr Justine Toh opens our Advent 2025 series with a reflection on the way love breaks through, just as light breaks through the darkness.
AUNTY PROFESSOR DR DOSEENA FERGIE
For our thirteenth Advent 2025 devotional, Aunty Professor Dr Doseena Fergie reflects on how God brings light and hope through unexpected and humble beginnings.
When Light Breaks Through
But you, O Bethlehem of Ephrathah,
who are one of the little clans of Judah,
from you shall come forth for me
one who is to rule in Israel,
whose origin is from of old,
from ancient days.
Therefore he shall give them up until the time
when she who is in labour has brought forth;
then the rest of his kindred shall return
to the people of Israel.
And he shall stand and feed his flock in the strength of the Lord,
in the majesty of the name of the Lord his God.
And they shall live secure, for now he shall be great
to the ends of the earth;
and he shall be the one of peace.Micah 5:2-5a
My heritage stems from the small Islands scattered in the Torres Straits of northern Australia. A place rich in beauty and cultural knowledge where God had revealed His existence to our Mob for thousands of years through His Creation. But, not through His written Spoken Word. It was not until 1871, a mere 154 years ago, when English and Melanesian Christian missionaries brought the Bible to our shores. A day commemorated in July, aptly named Zulai Wan or “the Coming of the Light”.
This storyline relates very much to the passage in the book of this minor prophet, Micah. The timeline vacillates between the presence of darkness to glimmers of light and hope in the coming reign of an anticipated deliverer, the Messiah. Is this not needed in our challenging environment of change and conflict today? There remains extensive idolatry, where acts of rebellion and widespread injustices flourish. Yet, it is intermingled with glimpses of hope when love breaks through and lives are transformed by the saving grace and forgiveness of Jesus Christ our Redeemer and Friend.
How will this fact be shown in the daily living of ordinary people like you and me? Often, I forget where I have been, or where I once was, compared to where I am now and especially to where I am going. But our Lord does not forget. He knew us before we were born, in fact He knew us while we were in our mother’s womb. He knows us in such detail for He can count the number of hairs on our head! How wonderfully reassuring this is.
Yet our society, our neighbours, our friends, including our enemies, and especially our family members need to know and experience the love and power that God offers us. Not only throughout the year, but especially through this Advent time. The world does not and will not publicise this. It is through our God-honouring relationships within our spheres of influence when they are bathed in persistent prayer that will speak louder than any social media platform.
Doubt not Christian! God promises to keep on using human vessels that are open to Him and guided by the power of His Holy Spirit, to bring salvation to those living in fear and in darkness.
He also promises to Shepherd those of His Flock, so they can live securely and experience His Peace, even amid turmoil. Give all your praise and glory to Him.
Aunty Prof Dr Doseena Fergie is an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Christian Elder. After marrying Bob, they enjoyed missionary life in PNG for two decades before returning to Australia with their three children. They now have four grandchildren and reside in Bunurong Country in Victoria.
This devotional is the thirteenth in a series of daily email devotionals for Advent 2025 reflecting on the realities of our broken world along with the unshakable hope that love still breaks through. It explores how God’s love disrupts, heals, and transforms - breaking through darkness, despair, and injustice to bring light, joy, and renewal.
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Common Grace is a diverse movement of individuals, churches and communities passionate about Jesus and justice. We have come together as those from different Christian traditions who stand in the continuity of the historic Christian faith, centred on the life, death and resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ as witnessed to in holy scripture. This series highlights the diversity of followers of Jesus across these lands. These voices may not agree with one another (or with you), but they are each an expression of longing for the God whose love we see break through in Jesus.
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