Darkness

The people who walked in darkness

    have seen a great light;

those who dwelt in a land of deep darkness,

    on them has light shone. 

Isaiah 9:2

It’s easy to feel the darkness. Especially this time of year. Especially in western Pennsylvania. Where the sun *never* shines.  Our oldest son works in a limestone mine.  He mentioned the other day, that he rarely gets to see daylight this time of year – at least during the week.  I remarked back to him, “You haven’t missed anything.”

As I have slowly recovered from foot surgery, my frustrations have been many.  The lack of mobility, the unstable gait, the ‘not sure I should do this’ feeling, has far too often, made me feel dark. I do not like the feeling.  I keep hoping a day is coming, a week is coming, a month is coming that that will feel light, that the worries of mobility, unstable gait, unsureness, will become a memory.

The passage from Isaiah reflects quite accurately how the Israelites were feeling during the exile. And while they did return from banishment, they were – one way or another – under the control of many different nations.  In the years before the birth of Jesus, Israel was a puppet nation with a puppet King all under control of the Roman Empire. For so many, it remained a very dark time for a very long time.

The season we are in now is called Advent. Some have described Advent as a drama between light and dark.  We are still heading into the darkness, as the nights continue to grow longer and days shorter. But soon that will change.  It won’t be very noticeable but someday soon after December 21, the light will start to conquer.

As I think about this, an old carol came to mind. It’s not in our hymnbooks – I looked. It’s called “People Look East.” Some of the lyrics, written by Eleanor Farjeon, go like this:

People, look east. The time is near

Of the crowning of the year.

Make your house fair as you are able,

Trim the hearth and set the table.

People, look east and sing today:

Love, the Guest, is on the way.

Why look east? Because that is where the sun comes up. The detection of a slight return of the light; a morning star heralding in  something new, something brighter.

The light is coming. Soon we will celebrate the birth of the Light of the world.  As John wrote, “The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.”  John 1:5 

May we all keep focused on the promise. The Light is on the way. The darkness never wins….