Dear One’s of St. C’s,

I am writing this to you from the dark of my 3 year old daughter’s bedroom.  She came downstairs and said that the dark scares her.  It is an interesting contrast since I have been spending this Advent delighting in the dark and finding its goodness.  I understand what can be scary about darkness.  I understand the desire to long for the light.  But what about that seed that really needs to get down deep in that dirt, where there is no sunlight, in order to grow roots.  What about the bear looking for the dark den to cozy up in and go into a deep sleep.  “Female polar-bears go into hibernation during the cold winter months in order to give birth to their offspring.”* Is there anything more advent-like then that?  How can we spend Advent getting cozy in the dark and let our roots sink down deep into the soil?  How do we make friends with the dark and not let the fear of it steal us from our growth, comfort, and rest?

As the days continue to get shorter I am actively working on ways to welcome the dark, even if it is with an Advent-like Christmas tree and a fire.  I am learning to sit with parts of myself I try to keep hidden from myself.  I am inviting God to be present within the darkness and wondering what new thing might be created from my time in the dark.  Instead of seeing the light distinguishing the darkness, I am wondering how the two compliment each other to create warmth, comfort and growth.

This year has been hard.  And yet, there has been goodness here too.  Maybe one of the hardest things about being human is that goodness and beauty live side by side with pain and sadness.  I believe God calls us to both. And that Advent calls us to pause and sit in the darkness.  Advent does not ask us to make sense of it, not to massage an explanation out of it, but to just let it be what it is, whatever it is.  And then Advent hope is the belief that whatever it is, in its most raw form, will be redeemed.  It will be healed.  The savior is coming.  But the savior is a baby.  So don’t rush it.  Don’t miss right where you are.  Our hope is coming.  Today, we are here in the dark and there is goodness here too. 

A blessed Advent to each of you,

Meghan

*https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/...