Advent's all about light, right? Light coming into the world. No, wrong, it's all about darkness according to Jann-Aldridge Clanton, holy, creative darkness at that.
Jann's written us a song, sung to the tune of O Little Town of Bethlehem, to illustrate the point. Here it is:
O Holy Darkness, loving Womb, who nurtures and creates,sustain us through the longest night with dreams of open gates. We move inside to mystery that in our center dwells, where streams of richest beauty flow from sacred, living wells.
Creative Darkness, closest friend, you whisper in the night;you calm our fears as unknown paths surprise us with new sight. We marvel at your bounty, your gifts so full and free, unfolding as you waken us to new reality.
O Holy Night of deepest bliss, we celebrate your power;infuse us with your energy that brings our seeds to flower.The voice out of the darkness excites our warmest zealto bring together dark and light, true holiness reveal.
O come to us Sophia, your image black and fairstirs us to end injustice and the wounds of Earth repair.The treasures of your darkness and riches of your graceinspire us to fulfill our call, our sacredness embrace.
Beautiful, isn't it, but to set the record straight, here's the governing Collect or prayer for the season.
Almighty God, give us grace that we may cast away the works of darkness, and put upon us the armor of light, now in the time of this mortal life in which thy Son Jesus Christ came to visit us in great humility; that in the last day, when he shall come again in his glorious majesty to judge both the quick and the dead, we may rise to the life immortal; through him who liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Ghost, one God, now and for ever. Amen.
Cast away the works of darkness and put on the armor of light. With that in mind, what's the "Holy Darkness" that Jann's appealing to?
The womb of the blessed, glorious, Immaculate, ever Virgin Mary assumed into heaven without sin? Or something else, the darkness that attempted to overcome the Light and failed?
Perhaps you remember the verse, "And the light shineth in darkness and the darkness comprehended it not." (John 1:5) What is this darkness? Here's a hint:
Here at the Compound we recommend you stick to the light but hey, your call. Just don't be surprised if, when you make the wrong choice, you wake up and a demon's gnawing on your forearm.
God bless,
LSP
Here at the Compound we recommend you stick to the light but hey, your call.
ReplyDeleteExcellent advice, LSP.
Happy Advent - my second favorite season, with Lent being numero uno.
Such a beautiful season, Adrienne. The collect is especially powerful, I always think. Darkness? Not so much.
DeleteIf the Washington Elite and their buddies in the corrupt, sly, smug, lying mainstream media cast off their works of darkness, they'd have nothing to do. Sometimes I think that they keep at it because glorifying evil has become the only thing that they know. Dead inside - walking dead indeed.
ReplyDeleteBut Christmas brings it back into perspective, and the need for a humble and contrite heart.
Good point, LL and we could add another dimension.
DeleteIf people become what they do and that's dark, how much will be left when the incandescent radiance of the light burns the darkness away?
Something much like nothing, which brings us close to the definition of the Pit.
Some draw a comparison with the space inside the beltway.
Europeans predicted that starting the Large Hadron Collider at CERN would 'open the pit'. I think there are several openings: San Francisco, Austin, and the Washington Beltway.
ReplyDeleteThat's interesting, LL. But what happens when antimatter collides with antimatter?
ReplyDelete