The aurora borealis, the Northern Lights, happen when charged particles in our upper atmosphere are blown by solar winds. They remind us of the unseen forces that wrap around our planet even when we cannot see them.
What do you need to make visible that usually exists hidden in the dark?
In the silence of a clear night, we can see the stars, each pinpoint a ray of light emitted countless hours ago from celestial bodies many light-years away. As we look to the stars, we are reminded of our place in the universe.
What reminds you of your connection to the immensity of the universe?
Darkness can be healing. Darkness can be nurturing. Darkness can be a place of growth and transformation. In the Northern Hemisphere, today is the darkest day of the year–let us embrace that darkness as beautiful and magnificent.
How do you embrace the darkness?
The final Sunday of Advent is used to prepare ourselves to work for peace. The Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King famously said that “true peace is not merely the absence of tension; it is the presence of justice.”
How are you creating true peace in the world around you?
In the Eastern United States, fireflies light up summer nights. In the cold of winter, their larvae grow under the ground, glowing all the while. They shine their lights under the Earth as they wait to emerge in the spring.
How do you shine your light in ways that no one sees?
