Light Over Darkness

Just when you think times can’t get darker, in comes the season of light. When your mind has turned all night, the sun begins to rise. It’s another day. You don’t know what direction to turn and suddenly a kind word of wisdom points the way.

Today marked the first day of Advent leading to the celebration of Christmas. Candles were lit around the world encouraging thoughtful and prayerful opening of hearts and minds to the way that love can change the world. I can’t think of better timing!

I certainly could use Advent and its wonderful time for reflection and preparation and its powerful reminders of comfort and joy to be found in the story of a child born in a manger and his short time among us on Earth.

Jesus said, “There will be signs in the sun, the moon, and the stars, and on the earth distress among nations confused by the roaring of the sea and the waves. People will faint from fear and foreboding of what is coming upon the world, for the powers of the heavens will be shaken. Then they will see ‘the Son of Man coming in a cloud’ with power and great glory. Now when these things begin to take place, stand up and raise your heads, because your redemption is drawing near.”  (Luke 21:25-28)

What a lovely invitation continues to be extended to us year after year. We may have to wait for Christmas Day, but we never have to wait for its gift to us. We don’t have to wait for a special day, for a year, for an hour or even another minute. We just have to be willing to accept the invitation for a better life, a life of light.

“Almighty God, give us grace to cast away the works of darkness, and put on the armor of light, now in the time of this mortal life in which your Son Jesus Christ came to visit us in great humility...” (From A Collect for the First Sunday of Advent, Book of Common Prayer, pg. 211)

Take comfort in the fact that darkness, no matter how dark it may be, will never win against the light. Take it into your heart and feel its strength and share it with others. With light and love you can change your world and the world of others for better.  

As we enter Advent, I am reminded of the other wonderful celebrations of light from around the world, especially our Hindu friends who just celebrated Diwali. A wonderful five-day festival, Diwali celebrates the victory of good over evil, knowledge over ignorance and light over darkness. Our Jewish friends celebration of Hanukkah begins soon as well, reminding us that there will always be enough oil to light the sacred lamp.

We have everything we need, my friends. Take a look at what may be keeping you in the dark and do what you need to do to let the light show you the way. Listen to those loving words of kindness from friends and family. Find the support of community. Read, pray, meditate, exercise, rest. Take time for yourself and do more for others. Make room for the light; it will give you life.

With love and light,

LT

We All Need Quiet

We all need quiet, even the most extroverted of us. With a full time career that involves a lot of interaction and communication, a husband, who also works full time, and two smallish children, life stays pretty busy around here…and noisy.

I take great comfort in the example of Jesus who often went off to pray, alone. I’ve always imagined him in beautiful shaded landscapes or along the shoreline…sometimes surrounded by lush green growth with sun or moonlight filtering through the leaves, other times in the sand under the shade of a tree with water lapping against the dry earth as birds hovered above or skittered back and forth on the land. His beloved friends and disciples may have only been a stone’s throw away, but he still gave himself the opportunity to separate himself, to be quiet, to disconnect from the here and now and to focus on something greater.

Stepping away from others and into beauty and creation at least once a day helps me to center in my connection with God. It helps me breath in new life and the love that will sustain me as well as flow out in my relationships with others. Without these refreshing moments of renewal, my interactions with others can lack the depth I seek or the kindness I wish to share.

I will admit that I haven’t been completely successful in giving myself permission to do this everyday. I do pray every day, but it is not always the quiet connection with creation and silence that I need for full renewal. That being the case, it’s important that several times a year, I create opportunities for myself to have even longer times of reflection. Silent retreats have been especially refreshing in my spiritual journey.

The first Friday of every month, a group of women, some regulars, some new, gather for silence at St. Columba Conference Center in Bartlett, Tennessee. The St. Clare retreats are open to all women of any denomination and have been taking place over 12 years. As one woman explained during my last visit to St. Columba, “don’t wait until you are old and wise”…to take advantage of the opportunity to be quiet, to pray, to study and to enjoy the beauty of God’s creation for yourself.

Before each retreat begins, participants have an opportunity to greet one another over coffee. The retreat itself opens in prayer and the presentation of a short reflection with the beautiful wooded background of the St. Columba property in the background. Afterwards, hours of silence in which participants are encouraged not to make eye contact and disturb someone else’s quite begin. You can read, you can knit, you can sketch, you can journal and you can walk the property, which includes wooded paths, fields and a beautifully created labyrinth lined with moss and stones. In cool weather, you might curl up by the fire with a cup of tea or as it warms find yourself in a rocking chair on the screened in porch. Nuthatches, cardinals, blue jays and wrens flit about in the brush as you look out the windows and inspirational quotes catch your eye as you move from place to place in the retreat center.  An all-transactions-silent bookstore is available for you to peruse at your leisure.

As you find that your soul has been renewed, a gentle bell begins to ring summoning you to another communal prayer gathering. The silence is over, but it is ok. You have been welcomed back to the laughter and noise of your everyday life. Women throughout the room bravely share what inspiration and thoughts may have come to them during their time of quiet. Sometimes prayers are shared, as are revelations and words of gratitude.

There are smiles. Eyes are sparkling. Shoulders have relaxed. Breathing has gained greater depth. The retreat closes as the women gather around tables in the dining room for a delicious homemade lunch prepared by the St. Columba staff. It’s as if we’ve found the renewed energy and innocence of children and are being rewarded with a meal prepared by loving hands. Whether walking away in the rain or the full sunshine, each retreat for me has been filled with light and love.

Although I highly recommend attending a St. Columba retreat or something similar in your neck of the woods, please remember you can create this type of renewal for yourself wherever you are. Take some time out for yourself. Find a special reading or meditation. Find something beautiful to surround yourself, whether it is retreating to the outside, lighting a candle, reflecting on a painting or sitting in a favorite room or bench at the park…just take some time out. Be quiet. Be good to yourself. Reconnect with you and with God.

With love and light,

LT