Life-giving darkness
Start of Lent – Weekend
Reading
Matthew 26.36-38
You have made the moon to mark the seasons;
the sun knows its time for setting.
You make darkness, and it is night,
when all the animals of the forest come creeping out.
The young lions roar for their prey,
seeking their food from God.
When the sun rises, they withdraw
and lie down in their dens.
People go out to their work
and to their labour until the evening.
O Lord, how manifold are your works!
In wisdom you have made them all;
the earth is full of your creatures.
Reflection
Psalm 104 celebrates the wonders of God’s world and praises God’s wisdom in creating and ordering all things – including darkness.
As Selina Stone writes in Tarry Awhile, “Those of us who ever grew watercress at school will remember that it is in the darkness that particular forms of plant life grow … It is in the darkness that we rest, our bodies recharge and our brains restore themselves … Darkness is crucial to the development of particular species, which need space to hide away and hibernate. It is especially important for the young of various mammals (including humans) who grow in the darkness of the womb.
“Darkness … is the exciting starting point of creation … It is like a stage curtain, keeping things hidden until the appropriate time. Darkness … is full of potential, expectation and anticipation.
”
Watch
Look out for examples of God moving in darkness to bring life and growth.
...and pray
in the words of Psalm 104: "O Lord, how manifold are your works! In wisdom you have made them all ..."
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