Darkness
Zac Harmon-McLaughlin of Walnut Creek, CA, USA
The way of the righteous is level;
O Just One, you make smooth the path of the righteous.
In the path of your judgments,
O LORD, we wait for you;
your name and your renown
are the soul’s desire.
My soul yearns for you in the night,
my spirit within me earnestly seeks you.
For when your judgments are in the earth,
the inhabitants of the world learn righteousness….
O LORD, you will ordain peace for us,
for indeed, all that we have done, you have done for us. -Isaiah 26:7-9, 12
Some of the most beautiful things
I have seen were
in the darkness.
The first time I truly saw the Milky Way
was in a mountain basin
in the dead of night.
I first kissed my wife
in a field on a blanket
under a dark and starry sky.
I walked a beach in Nicaragua
and it seemed
I walked on stars.
I peeked over Grand Canyon’s edge
just as the sun was
disappearing from sight.
I watched a fire
take its final breath as the
last ember shed its glow.
Had lights been on
I would not have seen
a shooting star emblazon the sky.
Darkness is not evil or mischievous.
Darkness is a reflection of the sacred.
It is as mysterious as God,
as divine and beautiful.
I cannot tell you what makes darkness
such a blessing
and so expressive of God.
Perhaps it is the waiting,
perhaps the wondering.
Perhaps it is the mystery,
perhaps the unknowing.
Pay attention to darkness in your life.
I promise that in the dark
you will discover God’s holy light.
Advent Prayer Phrase
“Be strong, and let your heart take courage, all you who wait for the Lord” (Psalm 31:24).
Advent Spiritual Practice
Breathe deeply and spend a few moments inviting silence to deepen around you. Pay attention to what is forming in you this day as you prayerfully consider the following questions: What awareness or gift begins to emerge in you through the practice of waiting? When do you notice being invited to resist rushing to the next thing and remain present with what may be slowly unfolding? What can you learn from being fully present in the waiting times?
Today’s Prayer for Peace
Engage in a daily practice of praying for peace in our world. Click here to read today’s prayer and be part of this practice of peace.
