Darkness, the absence of light and understanding is a necessary part of authentic spiritual experience. Contrast between light and dark helps us to understand life in all of its complexities and uncertainties.
The accompanying video with the snippet of Radney Foster’s short story and the song help paint a word and music picture of how life’s rhythms involve both blessing and brokenness. As I mentioned in Sunday’s sermon, we are Euharistic people (people of thankfulness and gratitude). The pattern of the Eucharist, like the pattern in the song, the story and the rhythm of everyday life is one that involves the process of being taken, blessed, broken and given.
Blessing and brokenness are parts of the human condition. Whether we allow ourselves to be taken into the heart of God in Christ and given to others, friends and strangers alike, are choices that only we can make for ourselves. This is what it means to be a disciple of Jesus. ”
23 Then he said to them all, “If any want to become my followers, let them deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me. 24 For those who want to save their life will lose it, and those who lose their life for my sake will save it.” The Holy Bible: New Revised Standard Version. (1989). (Lk 9:23–24). Nashville: Thomas Nelson Publishers.
May we all have courage enough to endure the darkness so that we might see the blessing of the stars.