By Jewel Cannon

“I have learned things in the dark that I could never have learned in the light, things that have saved my life over and over again, so that there is really only one logical conclusion. I need darkness as much as I need light.”— Barbara Brown Taylor, Learning to Walk in the Dark

One theme in my spiritual life that I am discovering and honoring is stillness. It is similar and synchronous with the themes of silence and darkness. Generally, when Christians feel like they are experiencing a season of darkness, silence and stillness, they may feel as if they are in the “wilderness” or “valley.” The wilderness is thought of to be scary, lonely and exhausting.

I am reminded of these biblical characters: Hagar, the Israelites, Elijah, David and Jesus. Each of these was led into the wilderness by God. Hagar was comforted by God and even named God in her situation. Elijah was comforted by God when he was in the cave feeling defeated. The bread was provided to the Israelites as they wandered around the desert. Jesus showed us how to pray and recount scripture when he was facing temptation by Satan in the wilderness.

All these narratives have a common theme and setting. In the wilderness, we learn to depend on God like Hagar did. We learn that God sees what we are going through. Hagar names God, El Roi, the God Who Sees. Elijah’s loneliness in his cave teaches us that while we are waiting and things seem still, to seek the still, small voice of God. King David who expressed many emotions in his Psalms teaches us that even though we walk in the valley of the shadow of death, we need not fear because the Divine is with us. In other psalms, David teaches us the importance of lament. Our laments are sacred and when we cry out, we get closer to the Lord. Finally, Jesus teaches us to remain in the word and keep scripture in our hearts, for even In the silence in the Garden of Gethsemane, in the silence of the wilderness before the angel shows up to Hagar, and in the silence of Elijah’s cave, God dwelled there.

In my spiritual life, through these characters, I am learning to appreciate silence, stillness and darkness. I am grateful that in these three things, God is present. That is comforting to me. While we wait in periods of silence, stillness and darkness, we listen for the still, small voice of God that eases our hearts and minds. The wilderness is not our final destination. We are only passing through. Silence and stillness are temporary. In conclusion, this quote by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. inspires me to be steady and unmovable: “Only in the darkness can you see the stars.”

PRAY, PRACTICE, PONDER

Ponder this blessing by Jan Richardson for the beginning of Lent.
Wilderness Blessing

Let us say this blessing began whole and complete upon the page. And then let us say that one word loosed itself and another followed it in turn.
Let us say this blessing started to shed all it did not need, that line by line it returned to the ground from which it came.
Let us say this blessing is not leaving you, is not abandoning you to the wild that lies ahead, but that it is loathe to load you down on this road where you will need to travel light.
Let us say perhaps this blessing became the path beneath your feet, the desert that stretched before you, the clear sight that finally came.
Let us say that when this blessing at last came to its end, all it left behind was bread, wine, a fleeting flash of wing.