#Night
In the Northern hemisphere, the Advent season falls at a dark time of year, with short days and long nights. The long #night of winter darkness affects us physiologically and emotionally. Darkness can also be a metaphor for hopelessness, for oppression, for feeling lost and seeing no way out whatever pit we find ourselves in.
Light is essential for human life. No wonder we like to light candles in the darkness. No wonder we want to light up the #night. One reason to observe Advent, rather than rushing too quickly to decorate our homes and public spaces with Christmas lights, is that where there is darkness, we need to name it. We need to get real about whatever darkness we face within and around us. We need to acknowledge the mess we are in. We can best welcome light when through the #night we have been longing for light.
The Advent season reminds us that things worth waiting happen in the #night, in darkness. The spring bulbs get ready to push up their green shoots from the dark soil. A baby grows in the darkness of a mother's womb.
Some people of faith even manage to sing in the dark. You can read something about that in one of my archived posts on the Big Bible Project 'Zephaniah: singing in the dark'. Or you can find more singing in the darkness in the YouTube video at the foot of this post.
One of my favourite Christmas poems starts with the idea of light coming down to darkness. Here it is:
Light Looked Down
Light looked down and beheld Darkness.
“Thither will I go,” said Light.
Peace looked down and beheld War.
“Thither will I go,” said Peace.
Love looked down and beheld Hatred.
“Thither will I go,” said Love.
So came Light and shone.
So came Peace and gave rest.
So came Love and brought life.
And the Word was made flesh and dwelt among us.
Laurence Housman
If you have time, do listen to a lovely song 'Into the Darkness' written by Maggie Dawn and played and recorded by Keith Chesterton. I discovered it thanks to Pam Webster and a post #Darkness#Advent on her Pam's Perambulation blog. If you are going through a dark #night, you might find this sung prayer helpful. Here it is:
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