There’s nothing like a power loss to give one new perspective on darkness and our dependence on light. A snowstorm and its accompanying 13-hour power outage provided an interesting opportunity to reflect on darkness, on waiting, and on the coming of the light.

Candlelight creates a contemplative atmosphere. I didn’t fight it. As a matter of fact, I welcomed the break from our ever-present electronic devices and basked in self-awareness, self-reliance, and independence. Darkness falls in our area closer to four o’clock each day as we near the winter solstice. To preserve body warmth, we hunker down, as we did in front of the fireplace during the storm. The richness of the dark, the holiness of silence, the mystery of shadows, and anticipation of things unseen are ripe in our consciousness and imaginations.

It was the perfect gift for Advent. A sharp crackle of the birch logs on the fire shook me from my reverie, and yawning, I waited by the fire for the coming of the light.

— Susan Bues, Moderator