Horizons Newsletter: Rev. Dr. Peter Allen
Befriending the Dark
When I was young, I felt grumpy when I had to get up and get ready for school in the dark in November. My grandmother told me that our farmer ancestors rose with the sun and went to bed at sundown. Sounds natural to me!
I am trying to have a different attitude now.
When my alarm goes off at 6:15, it is pitch dark. I get up anyway because I am trying to cherish the silence of that hour, Both dogs are still asleep. No one is walking past our house. Only the occasional car. Darkness and silence go together. Both can be scary, but they can also be gifts.
The few hours of sunlight fly by in this season, but their brevity reminds me to be thankful for the warm sun and it’s brightness reflecting off of the autumn leaves.
When late afternoon comes around, the slanting light and long shadows encourage me to stop my procrastinating and complete any outdoor tasks I’ve left undone.
The dark encourages reflection and brings us together inside.
Darkness can and does bring us down, but it can also deepen us and make us more thoughtful and compassionate towards those whose lives are lived in the shadows.
This is the season of fires in the fireplace and campfires outside. This is the season of candles and lanterns. There is a coziness now that feels just right.
May the light shine in the darkness! And may the darkness become our friend.
Pete