Preparing to See the Light

In Kathryn Greene-McCreight's book, I Am With You, she begins with a meditation on light, specifically light as it was pronounced into being in Genesis 1-3.  Without light we cannot see.  Without light there can be no life.

She says: "God's light, like a flashlight trained on a possum, exposes all who prefer darkness."  The image, of course, refers back to her story of her family trying to get rid of a possum and in doing so they scared it into inaction with too much light.  Once the light was off, the creature who prefers darkness was able to flee.

Taking that analogy further, we sometimes speak of ourselves in moments of wonder, awe, fear, surprise as a "deer in the headlights." Generally what is meant is that we are shocked beyond response, unable to pull off any sense of composure or control. The Archbishop of Canterbury offers a very compelling thought along these lines:  if we think of Easter as light, we might think of Lent as preparing our eyes to behold that light.

I came from a meeting yesterday in which someone had just had their eyes dilated by the doctor.  They admitted to not seeing clearly.  Is there not something about Lent that calls us to remove the scales from our eyes so that we can behold the brilliance of God? And, if so, what is the most faithful way to do this?

Perhaps this dovetails into the discussion that Diana Butler-Bass is having about being grounded in and by God.  So often we are tempted to have our faith grounded in feelings, concepts, programs or creeds. These are good things to be sure but they cannot be substituted for relationship with God. Presence only comes through relationship and encounter. True vision comes in being stripped of preconceived ideas and expectations.

And if we have been living in darkness, struggling with darkness, we need presence.  It is presence which mediates light by reminding and proclaiming to us that darkness is not the final word. Just as with the disciples on the road to Emmaus, their eyes were not opened until they recognized Jesus in the breaking of the bread. Their grief, their disappointment, their shattered expectations led them to a blindness: "we had hoped He was the one to redeem Israel."  

We need presence, communion and fellowship to grow, see, hear and thrive.  There really is no way to get around that as much as we would like to try.  Therefore we see in Lent (if we want to) the opportunity for outreach, for worship, for engagement with scripture, for seeing and hearing new things in the wilderness.      

A prayer from Walter Brueggemann:

We pray your mighty spirit upon us,

that we may more fully engage our baptism,

that we may accept the costs

that belong to our life with you,

that we may embrace the joys that only you can give.

Move us beyond ourselves, our favorite cliches,

our tired resentments,

our worn habits,

to your newness.

Make us light, make us ready, make us open,

that we may become a resounding doxology

through your passion and into your victory.

We pray in the name of Jesus crucified, the Lord of the church.

Amen.