Light in the darkness

The Hardest Part…

Feeling hopeful, I am lifted up by the soothing breeze, and welcomed by the warmth of the sun. I am drawn to the light stretching out from it, as if reaching out to everyone and all around the globe. Still, I wait, as many do. So much of life these days seems to be more about waiting, and then waiting even more. I can’t help but think, this much waiting is such a tall order, compared to the short and quick of yesteryear.

Yet, day in and day out, I wait. We all wait. Maybe we’ve been waiting all along. Maybe we wait because we’ve gotten it all wrong.

Then there’s also the companion of waiting. As each moment in waiting silently builds upon the next, some grow closer together and others drift further apart. Yet, despite the weight of waiting, and the rush against the quiet, when willing, the Light above connects us to the Breath that’s deep within.

One with one another. Created in God’s image. One with one and all. The cry of God is deafening, when will we heed the call?

“Remain in me, as I remain in you. Just as a branch cannot bear fruit on its own unless it remains on the vine, so neither can you unless you remain in me.” – John 15:4

Zooming in…

There is an abundance of Light in and around the world. It is here in the stillness, near and far. It is here in the paces, back and forth, and every action in between. It is present in every place and across all time, bestowing Grace.

Even in times of great stress, loss, and separation, in the midst of darkness and deprivation, there is, always, Illumination.

Look around for what is Bright… Place Hope in the Giver of Life… Be inspired by the Light.

Lord, you will show us the path to life. – Psalm 16:11a

Light2

Laetare?

Going into the fourth Sunday of Lent—Laetare Sunday—it is hard to think of rejoicing while the world is enduring a pandemic. Along with illness and grief, fear seems so rampant. With daily routines, and ways of living and interacting with each other, changing so suddenly and so drastically, new and different pressures arise creating unrest of one kind or another, sometimes more.

Alongside the very wise steps and attempts toward caution that are being taken in different parts of the world over the past weeks, hearing and seeing so much about Coronavirus (COVID-19), the loss of life, and the widespread panic that it is creating can be intimidating, scary, and unsettling. However, we cannot allow it, or anything else, to make us shrink, and fall away from being what is best about being human—the ability to be humane.

With all that is happening across the globe, it can seem like too much at times, and it is. Trying to manage the demands of this “new” world requires more, but that is okay because we are capable of more. Although we may need to keep at a distance, we are not alone.

Oftentimes, looking to see, “What’s the humane thing to do?” invites the grace of God to shine, reminding us in times like these, that through goodwill toward one another, which is always possible, and faith in God, we can help each other to hold it together, without falling apart. That, is how we can rejoice.

I am the light of the world, says the Lord;
whoever follows me will have the light of life. – John 8:12

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Lord, as we walk through each day, help us to know, and to live, what is good and true, in the joyful as well as the difficult and challenging. Help us to take all to prayer, to see with grateful hearts, and to join forces with your glory in all things. For this, we pray…  

Lord, hear our prayer.     

On Deck…

In a time and place where focus can often be drawn toward what’s next or what’s on deck, there stands Epiphany, ever calling one back, gently, to pause in the Light.

Seeing that careful observation was part of their daily practice, those who were called wise, not only saw the sign, but were also aware of its significance and moved by it into action.

We saw his star at its rising and have come to do him homage. – Matthew 2:2

According to Scripture, the magi came from the east and journeyed over the course of days and nights, and then some more days and nights, not knowing the exact destination. Yet, they remained faithful, eventually reaching the place to which they were guided.

Path

What about those from the west? And those already there? Did they also see the star from its rising? What signs did they see or hear? Were they too closed, or too quick to assume that what they were waiting and looking for, could not possibly be in their midst already?

What, if anything, did they recognize?

See, darkness covers the earth,
and thick clouds cover the peoples;
but upon you the LORD shines,
and over you appears his glory. – Isaiah 60:2

Epiphany