God Is a Light
God Is a Light
STORY
My favorite image of the Advent season is that of God bringing light into a dark place. For me, this contrast seems to really resonate with my soul. When I sat down to write this song, the phrase “God is a light” just seemed to slip out of my mouth. In a strange sense it actually felt like a much needed reminder to myself. “God, you are the light, and you choose to dwell within your people.” During this particular season of my life, my soul felt grieved. My soul felt dark, and God felt distant. “God is a light, that dwells among us” is the promise that the advent of our savior is the true hope of our world, and he cares for me. In that realization my soul felt hopeful again. I knew God was with me!
From that moment on, the verses seemed to just write themselves. In short, I wanted to tell the story that had just brought my soul so much peace. One of the main themes I wanted to portray in the verses is that God stepped out of heaven, to the lowest, most humble place he could—a baby, born in a trough in Bethlehem—in order to rescue his people. “Highest King of Heaven, you took your place on Earth. Humbled to a manger, a lowly kind of birth.”
The second theme I wanted to write about in the verses is that Jesus is came to earth to advance kingdom of God and to all creation to the Father. He was truly sent from heaven to die for the sin of the world. “The word made flesh, among us. The Great I Am, I’m sure! A lighthouse in the darkness. The hope of all the world!”
The third theme I wanted to write about is that we currently live in the age of the ‘already/not yet’. Christ came, He died, He rose. The words of the prophets were fulfilled, and Jesus truly was who he said he was! Yet, we still live in a time when everything hasn’t been fully redeemed and we feel the weight of brokenness. Revelation tells us that he is coming back to make everything right once and for all, and we will be fully restored to him. The beautiful part is that in the midst of the current tension, God is still light in the darkness. God is still with us through his Holy Spirit. Jesus is returning to make all things new. “Oh God, my soul is broken. How my soul rests in your birth. The child called king is here now; was born to die for us!”
—Kyle Jackson
LYRICS
Highest King of heaven
You took your place on Earth
Humbled to a manger
A lowly kind of birth
A Savior with a promise
To reconcile the world
Son of God incarnate
To be called the Lord of Lords
God is a light
God is a light
God is a light
That dwells among us
O God in all our suffering
The love of Christ has won
Fulfilled the word of prophets
Our longing here is done
The Word made flesh among us
The Great I Am, I’m sure
A lighthouse in the darkness
The Hope of all the world
God is a light
God is a light
God is a light
That dwells among us
O God we need a savior
This earth is not my home
You came to dwell among us
You'll come again, I know
O God, my spirit's broken
How my soul rests in your birth
A child called King is here now
Was born to die for us
God is a light
God is a light
God is a light
That dwells among us