Advent reminds us that hope isn’t fragile or fading - it’s anchored in Jesus who came, who rose, and who’s coming again. We light the candle of hope because Christmas is God stepping into our real lives with real mercy.

Zechariah and Elizabeth show us what it looks like to wait in the dark, yet even there God is moving. Zechariah’s doubt wasn’t rejected; God used silence to grow his faith. Advent leads us into steady trust, to still our anxious thoughts, look to the Light, and declare with joy that Jesus has already come near.