Here’s
a prayer meditation for Advent on the theme of darkness. It comes from the Presbyterian Church of
Aotearoa, New Zealand, and was posted on Sunday
Papers.
Advent in the Dark
We wait
in the darkness,
expectantly,
longingly, anxiously, thoughtfully.
The
darkness is our friend.
In the
darkness of the womb,
we have
all been nurtured and protected.
In the
darkness of the womb
the
Christ-child was made ready for the journey into light.
It is
only in the darkness
that we
can see the splendour of the universe –
blankets
of stars, the solitary glowings of the planets.
It was
the darkness that allowed the Magi to find the star
that
guided them to where the Christ-child lay.
In the
darkness of the night,
desert
people find relief from the cruel relentless heat of the sun.
In the
blessed desert darkness
Mary
and Joseph were able to flee with the infant Jesus
to
safety in Egypt.
In the
darkness of sleep,
we are
soothed and restored, healed and renewed.
In the
darkness of sleep, dreams rise up.
God
spoke to Joseph and the wise men through dreams.
God is
speaking still.
Sometimes
in the solitude of the darkness
our
fears and concerns, our hopes and visions
rise to
the surface.
We come
face to face with ourselves
and with
the road that lies ahead of us.
And in
that same darkness
we find
companionship for the journey.
In that
same darkness
we
sometimes allow ourselves to wonder and worry
whether
the human race is going to survive.
And
then, in the darkness
we know
that you are with us, O God,
yet
still we await your coming.
In the
darkness that contains both our hopelessness and our hope,
we
watch for a sign of God’s hope.
For you
are with us, O God,
in
darkness and in light.
~ from the Presbyterian Church of Aotearoa, New
Zealand (abridged). Posted by James
Hawes, on Sunday Papers. http://www.sundaypapers.org.uk/
