He rescued us from the control of darkness and transferred us into the kingdom of the Son he loves. He set us free through the Son and forgave our sins. (Col 1:13-14)

I‘ll just go ahead and say it, I’m a fan of the switch from Daylight Savings Time to Standard Time. It’s three weeks out from the switch, and I am in bliss.

I know all the complaints about the switch and Standard Time in general: going to work when it’s dark and coming home when it’s dark, sleep schedules get messed up and toddlers turn to gremlins overnight, it might even save energy (jury is out on that one.)

However, I’m one of those crazy people who is a morning person. I’ve always been one. I was the kid who fell asleep first at sleepovers even when they were at my house, but that meant I was the first to get up and grab the Nintendo controller. I had to deal with FOMO in college as I went to bed before shenanigans could really get underway, but it wasn’t a problem to wake up for 5:15 AM weightlifting sessions for football. I might collapse into bed seconds after my kid goes to sleep, but then I get hours to myself in the morning to read, exercise, clean the dishes, or whatever.

Well, this last one isn’t necessarily true because my kid takes after me and wakes up before the sun has an inkling to rise. C’est la vie.

When the switch back to Standard Takes place, it is glorious because I get to enjoy more light in the morning. I get run when the sun is rising and not in deep darkness. I get to let the dog out and actually see he’s taking care of business instead of eating his own.

It honestly feels like a completely different time for me. Maybe you’re one of those sickos who prefer Daylight Savings Time, but the switch to that matters for you. It feels like a whole different world.

I think this is what Paul is getting at when he wrote He rescued us from the control of darkness and transferred us into the kingdom of the Son he loves. He set us free through the Son and forgave our sins (Col 1:13-14). Going from Daylight Savings Time to Standard feels like I’ve been transferred from the control of darkness into the Son’s kingdom. It is freeing. It is hope-inducing. It is energy-giving.

The control of darkness isn’t just about the night, but about life in this present age. Sorely hampered by our past, frustrated we can’t break out of self-destructive cycles, confounded with our inability to always choose what’s right, it can feel like we’re under a power beyond ourselves; they are the powers of the Enemy, Sin, and Death.

Standing at the precipice of Advent, when, as Fleming Rutledge says, we look into the heart of darkness so as to completely understand the human predicament, we are reminded of the now and not yet. Paul’s words hang over as a truth uttered to us. God transferred us from this present age into Christ’s kingdom. The mechanism to do this is through the Cross, where Jesus set us free from the Enemy’s powers and forgave our sins. This is something God did for us: He brought peace through the blood of his cross (Col 1:20).

This is freeing. It is hope-inducing. It is energy-giving.

As much as we try and manipulate time, giving sunlight to morning larks or night owls, we understand there are some things in this world we cannot change. I can’t make the hands on the clock turn faster, and I certainly can’t make the sun rise any earlier. No, Jesus’ cross is the thing that marks the change of time. We are no longer beholden to the darkness of this world. Our sins have been forgotten. It may not be the new day, but, thanks to Jesus (and the switch to Standard Time), we can see the hues of the night sky start to lighten.

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