Today is the last day of Advent. A season of waiting, preparing for the coming of Christ; the birth of a child. John O’Donohue wrote a beautiful book of blessings called To Bless the Space Between Us [1]. This book is a regular resource when I need to share a prayer or find a way to articulate what my heart knows, but my brain can’t define. In the blessing “As a Child Enters the World”, it is spoken in the first person as the child is praying to God before their birth.
In the last stanza:
In everything, I do, think,
Feel, and say,
May I allow the light
Of the world I am leaving
To shine through and carry me home.
As I read the blessing, I thought of Jesus coming into this world. Jesus, a vulnerable, innocent human child, leaving the warmth of his mother’s womb and coming “home.” For the first time, it occurred to me that Jesus experienced this Earth as his home. His message of peace and love was focused on bringing the Kingdom of God to us here on Earth. He brought God’s love to Earth and became the light the world (John 8:12).
As Luke wrote of Zechariah’s prophecy:
In the tender compassion of our God
the dawn from on high shall break upon us,
to shine on those who dwell in darkness and the shadow of death,
and to guide our feet into the way of peace.
For those of us living in the northern hemisphere, we are experiencing the dark, short days of winter. Yet, no matter where we reside in the world, we all experience darkness that dwells within. A darkness that can make us feel alone, a darkness that overshadows hope, and a darkness that leaves us feeling lost. As the candles and lights are physical symbols of joy this season, what is your source of light?
Dear Lord,
May I be open to your light as you guide me to peace.
May I shine your light, our light, where it is needed.
May the Kingdom of God be my home on Earth.
Amen.
Reference
[1] John O’Donohue, To Bless the Space Between Us: A Book of Blessings. (New York: Convergent Books, 2008), 84
Amy Turbes
Amy Turbes is a spiritual director and has worked at Creighton University for almost 20 years in University Relations.
As a true extrovert, Amy loves connecting people dots. She believes in the six degrees of separation rule and will make sure to figure out how you are connected or how she can connect you to someone. This part of her personality is genetic and has led to fun conversations with strangers.
