I CHOOSE TO BELIEVE IN THE PROMISE OF LIGHT OVERCOMING DARKNESS

Since the election I have avoided church.  I believe I thought that my disassociative state was safer for me and I knew that church would wreck that.  Well, we went to church today.  St. Joan of Arc in South Minneapolis is a Catholic Church who’s tagline is “we welcome you wherever you are on your journey”.  At the lighting of the advent candle the choir sang Leonard Cohen’s Anthem:

  Ring the bells that still can ring
Forget your perfect offering
There is a crack in everything
That’s how the light comes in.

I shook and sobbed.  I could not sing.  I was just crying by the time we sang:

We are our Grandmother’s prayers
We are our Grandfather’s dreamings
We are the breath of our ancestors
We are Spirit of God

Then I thought of the promise.  That light will transform darkness.  Even the deepest darkness.  I remembered how Pope Benedict had ushered in a dark time in the church, away from its vision of justice and service to the poor.  I knew a little about how Pope John Paul had appointed very conservative Bishops and that the pool of Bishops to replace Pope Benedict were very conservative (theocracy above the spirit of God).  But then Pope Francis was named Pope.  I viewed this as a miracle.  I viewed this as the work of the Holy spirit.

As I came back from my thoughts we were singing:

 Keep your lamps trimmed and burning
Keep your Lamps trimmed and burning
Keep your Lamps trimmed and burning
For the time is drawing near
Children, don’t grow weary
Children, don’t grow weary
Children, don’t grow weary
For the time is drawing near

I was overtaken by the feeling that having faith in the face of overwhelming darkness was a choice.  And I chose again to believe in the promise of light.  This is not an empty act of faith. Believing in the promise of light requires action.  “Keep your lamps trimmed and burning”.  We must bring the promise of light.

So for those of you who are having a difficult time coming out of your dissolution your disassociation, take this sacred time (whether it be celebration of the Solstice, Christmas or Hanukkah it is about the promise of light) and commit yourself to believing in the sacred promise of light and bringing it forth into the darkness.

The light shone brightly into the darkness and the darkness could not put out the light. (John 1-5)