Sacred Darkness

From The Pastor’s Desk—

On the very first night after Daylight Savings Time ended, I happened to be driving back into town from Route 6, and witnessed the lingering light in the clouds over the head of Duck Creek. Since then, I have frequently despaired at how early it gets dark, but on that evening, I appreciated that the beauty of the evening sky was apparent while I was out running errands. All too often the sunset takes place when Jen and I are having dinner, or when I am in a meeting. It was a simple pleasure that night to have beauty come to visit in the midst of a busy day.

Quaker author Parker Palmer wrote of learning to love the winter in Minnesota, where the long evenings come with lots and lots of snow. He relates the advice he received: the winters will drive you crazy until you learn to get out in them. Rather than bemoaning the mounds of snow, he was encouraged to take up snow shoeing, cross country skiing, or ice fishing. Rather than bunkering down for the winter months, the wisdom is to go out and engage with it. Or, to put it in the words of the popular saying: if you choose not to find joy in the snow, you will have less joy in your life, but no less snow.

As the calendar year draws to an end, we celebrate the beginning of a new year in the life of the church with our observance of Advent. During these short days and long nights, we turn our attention to the light that shines in the darkness, the light of the star, the light of the world. As the nights continue to grow longer, we fill our homes, our worship space, our very lives with the lights of hope, peace, joy, and love.

—Pastor Jon