Are you afraid of the dark? Many of us are. We are scared of the dark and all that we associate with it, the danger, confusion, anxiety, sadness and so many other negative things. In our northern hemisphere the season of Advent is full of shorter days and longer nights. We often spend this season of darkness trying to fill it with light, fun and joy. We hang lights, throw parties and declare it to be the most wonderful time of the year, but that is not always true.

For many this is not the happiest of seasons, it can be filled with grief of some many kids of loss, the stress of our heightened expectations and so many other things. But as our devotional for this season reminds us, “the power of God is revealed in the wilderness. Human community is strengthened through struggle. Visions come to light in the dark. Hope blossoms when the morning star is not seen”.  

This is a season built on contradictions, the light and the darkness, the joy and the sadness, the here and the not yet. That is why it is so crucial to have moments like our Blue Note Christmas service on Thursday, December 8. We need to recognize and live into the darkness, grief and sadness of this time as much as we celebrate the light and joy of the Christmas season. It is my prayer that we can hold both as we trust in this journey Advent together. 

Be Well,

Sarah Foster
Minister of Community Care