On these dark November days, I have been thanking God for glorious sunrises, stargazing, Northern lights, and supermoons. This time of year, world religions celebrate Festivals of Light. For Christians, in this Advent season, we anticipate the celebration of the birth of Christ who is “the true light, the Light of the World.” In the beautiful prologue to John’s Gospel, we read: “The Light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not overcome it.”
The theme of darkness is a common thread running through the course of our lives. Darkness is a rich symbol in our spiritual life inviting us to grow and embrace our vulnerability. In her book “Radical Amazement”, Judy Cannato proclaims: “Life is a Mystery, shrouded in darkness. But the darkness is a place of possibility and power” leading to transformation. Even our body was formed in the darkness of our mother’s womb. When we were born, we passed from darkness into light. In fact, I was born on the Winter Solstice: Light and darkness are part of who I am. Since birth, I have had an inoperable cataract which means that while I have vision in my left eye, I cannot see with my right eye. I was given the precious gift of sight and light and not total blindness and darkness.
