Light in the Shadows

November 9, 2020

Scripture

‘By the tender mercy of our God, the dawn from on high will break upon us, to give light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace.’ (Luke 1:78-79 NRSV

Light in the Shadows

Seven of us were doing a virtual retreat last week – 4 hours on Zoom with time off the screen for private prayer. The opening conversations included deep concern for the organizations we lead and for the pain we sense in our people. But we also shared the shadow we carry in our own lives.

We opened the prayer session with the words from Luke.  It caught us all with hopeful surprise for today even though written 2000 years ago. It’s a slow breaking dawn in these days of shadow and uncertainty.

Later that day, my neighbour told me his dad died suddenly. As we chatted from driveway to driveway, the pain of his loss was deepened by the restrictions on family gatherings to remember and celebrate his dad’s life. But there is light in the shadow.

We live in hope with light of the good news of Jesus - God with us – even in the shadows and conflicts. His endurance for our reconciliation with God motivates us to do the same.

A Prayer for Today

God of promises, Sometimes we wait generations for the dawn from on high; sometimes only years. We wait for justice and hope and light and kindness to mingle in the tangle of our days. And we age while we hope. So may we age and hope with tenderness and truth. Because you are tender and true even though we sometimes wonder. Amen. (From Day 4, Daily Prayer with the Corrymeela Community Pádraig Ó Tuama)