A dark November evening with mist adding to the gloom – I walked along the riverbank, well away from street lighting, thankful for my torch. No wonder at this time of year we love lights of all shapes and colours. Lights create an atmosphere or, for a lone walker in the dark, show the way.

Oxford’s Christmas Light Festival started over the weekend. On Friday evening, large lanterns made in local schools were on show, and many of our well-loved places opened up. Churches opened too: among them St Ebbe’s and Wesley Memorial Methodist Church, and the small and ancient city church where I serve, St Michael at the North Gate on Cornmarket. There we offered a quiet, candlelit space for all who came by, extending the open-door hospitality we provide every day.

In the faith communities, lights are central symbols. The Hindu community recently celebrated Diwali and soon the Jewish community will light up the Menorah – on both occasions lights carry special meaning. In Christian churches we really go for candles at Christmas. In our small church we will light over 150 candles for our carol service.

Oxford’s Festival invites us to “See our city in a new light”. Now that is timely. It is common to get weary with the pressure to “do Christmas”; with the retailers hoping we will spend well. It is common for Christians, too, to say “hold on a bit” when the show starts rolling. For us Christians there is something to do before we go full-blown for Christmas. We call it Advent, which begins on Sunday.

“Advent” means “Coming”. Yes, we do get ready to welcome the One who came at Bethlehem, but then we add some – quite a lot actually. This same One – Jesus – keeps approaching us day by day, with his invitation into “life in all its fullness”.

Last Friday evening, for the Festival, we displayed a banner made by a church member based on Holman Hunt’s famous painting – which can be seen in Keble College Chapel – called “Jesus, Light of the World”. Jesus is knocking at a door which symbolises the way in to a person’s heart. “If anyone opens the door, I will come in and sit with him” it says in the Bible verse Revelation 3:20.

In Advent, it is a good time to think about how we might welcome him ourselves.

There is another big “advent” to think about: when Jesus is seen as the one who fulfils all the loving purposes of God when history comes to its fulfilment. Christians think about what we mean when we call him “Lord”. If he has given us life, how have we done with that gift?

We could see our city in this new light – his new light. Just in the last few days, I have met people – of different faiths and of no faith – who are committed to this city becoming a more just, caring and honest place. They are supporting young people, asylum seekers, and people working through times of mental ill health. We could all tell similar stories of people we know. You could say such people are lighting some lights.

Most important we must let the light of truth shine clearly. Remember the phrase: “a trick of the light”. We can play with light to make illusions or to hide something in a shadow. So we need more than sentiment this Christmas. We need the light of down-to-earth, honest to God, goodness.

Now, talking of “down to earth”, that reminds me of Bethlehem – but not quite yet!