I was spending some time in silence in our sanctuary. At the front is a stained glass window that depicts the resurrection and a cross forms part of the support structure and then another cross hangs in front over the baptistery. Thing is…when the glass is lit you can’t really focus on the cross. Yet, as I was sitting there in silence and contemplating I realized this fact…sometimes it needs to be dark to really recognize God’s presence in our lives.

Now don’t get me wrong! I’m not saying go out into the world and seek things that are dark. But rather sometimes we must walk through darkness and as we do so, if we keep our eyes on the cross, we can move into the light. St. John of the Cross wrote a poem called, “On a Dark Night,” which captures some of what I’m attempting to communicate.

Oh, night that guided me, Oh, night more lovely than the dawn, Oh, night that joined Beloved with lover, Lover transformed in the Beloved!

Take some time today and let the silence move you deeper into your walk with Christ. He will journey with you no matter how deep the darkness may seem. He will bring you into the light of His love and into the companionship of others.

Check out my other page: www.intothesilence.org for information on spiritual direction. See you on the path…