Holy darkness, blessed night,
heaven’s answer hidden from our sight.
As we await you, O God of silence,
we embrace your holy night.
— Dan Schutte
Not too many Sundays ago, we turned our clocks back and said goodbye to one more hour of daylight… and welcomed one more hour of darkness. It might seem somewhat unusual to think of the darkness as “holy,” as this hymn invites us to do, since many of us think of these dark days of December as depressing, or even ominous— something to be feared. Our readings in worship during Advent seem to echo this fear; themes of “the end,” judgment, and the return of Christ take center stage.
For some of us, the darkness we see outside echoes the darkness we feel inside. If we are grieving the loss of a loved one, going through a major life transition, struggling with health issues, or simply have no one to celebrate the holidays with, this season where the world tells us we’re “supposed to be happy” can be very difficult. And yet, for us who gather in the light of Jesus, we know that the darkness is nothing to be afraid of. We know that hidden in every ending we could ever encounter is a new beginning, and that in buried in every death is a resurrection. God’s love is like a flame burning in secret, waiting to be revealed in our lives.
Sometimes it feels like we have to strain our eyes to see that light. Sometimes it feels like we have to wait forever before the peace and wholeness and answers we long for actually come. But the gift of Christmas is that God comes to us in the place of our deepest need, when our hope seems lost.
These dark days are an invitation for us to watch and listen for God where God is truly found: not in the bright fluorescent lights announcing door-buster sales, not in the endless loop of Christmas carols on the radio that began back in October, but in the quiet flicker of an altar candle, reminding us that God’s home is, was, and always will be right here with us, in the beautiful mess of our everyday lives.
The shepherds who first found Jesus were led to him by a star. As any kid who has gone camping can tell you, the best condition for seeing the stars is a clear night sky, when things are the darkest. My prayer for you during this Advent season is that whatever darkness you find yourself in, though it may not seem holy right now, makes the conditions right for you to see that same star, and be led to Jesus, the one for whom we have waited, and in whom there is no darkness at all.
God bless you, your families, and all those dear to you during this holy season!
Yours on the journey,
Jon Niketh +
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