January 27thHoly Darkness
- by Margaret Nally
Light and dark are as one to You
In womb-darkness You formed us.
Bless this seasonal darkness;
Bless this rage of the world in darkness
Give us courage to face and embrace it
Give us wisdom to live in it
From this darkness
May a birthing come
God making us, beside us, within us
Light and dark are as one to You
(Based on Ps. 139)
This time of year in the Northern Hemisphere is a dark time. A time to come inside – both in a physical sense and in a spiritual one. The worry of the world is heavy right now. We are burdened by war and violence. We are concerned about the political realities that might signal changes that put people at risk. The dark calls us to pause, to rest and to be renewed so that we can continue our journey that calls us to God, to each other and to society.
This season of darkness is a fallow time for creation. This season begins to be a time of migration and hibernation for birds and creatures. This season is a time to honour the full cycle of life of which darkness is an important part.
In the darkness of the past we find signs that point us towards our future. We are encouraged that darkness has been the companion of the Wise Ones seeking the light of the Prince of Peace. We journey through our own journey of darkness towards the peace promised by John 14:27
Peace I bequeath to you, my own peace I give you, a peace the world cannot give, this is my gift to you. Do not let your hearts be troubled or afraid.
We take heart from our biblical knowledge that the who God lead the faithful wanderers with a pillar of fire in dark times walks with us as we seek that support, knowledge and blessing in our world and in our life.
Practice sitting in darkness. Sitting in silence is a busy world is a gift. Sitting in silence in the chatter that calls to our fear is a gift. Silence it is said is the language of God (1 Kings 19:11-13).
This season of darkness is a fallow time for creation. This season begins to be a time of migration and hibernation for birds and creatures. This season is a time to honour the full cycle of life of which darkness is an important part. This season calls us to allow, honour and practice rest. If we do so, we can arise to the world made new and join in the great work of reconciliation that we are called to as followers of the Prince of Peace.
We take heart from our biblical knowledge that the who God lead the faithful wanderers with a pillar of fire in dark times walks with us as we seek that support, knowledge and blessing in our world and in our life.
In darkness and in the light of our call to faithfulness we hear these words of assurance:
Be sure that I am with you; I will keep you safe where you go (Gen 28:15)
Gentle God of the Darkness bless those who
- are homeless and sleep under the stars
- are refugees and flee under the cover of night
- are awake through fear, anxiety or sadness for the world
Bless each time of darkness in us and help us bear it into the light. Turn us round from running forward and still in us a desire for flight. Cast us into the cloth of stars, we pray. AMEN
- Margaret Nally is an MCEC Pastor.