“The stars are dancing tonight, while the moon sits in her golden hammock,
Swaying back and forth to the rhythm of celestial voices…
Do not sit alone in the dark while creation sings three-part harmony.
Dance, my friends. Dance wildly, sing joyfully, fill your heart with the beauty of the Beloved
As the Beloved turns your soul to light.”
– An excerpt from a poem by Om Prakash.
I knew a woman who had two cats. “Winter” was the name of one of them and “Summer” was the name of the other. Their personalities could not have been more different. Winter was huge. His stomach touched the ground when he walked. He moved very slowly except when he heard his food hit the dish! Summer was big also, but she was not as chubby as Winter. For example, her tummy did not swing back and forth as she sauntered.
Summer loved to chase things. The minute my friend would pull a small pen light from inside a desk drawer, Summer would pace. When we clicked the light on, pointed the beam at the floor projecting the tiny target, Summer would pounce. She seemed very serious in her attempts to capture the moving light. My friend and I giggled uncontrollably as we watched the younger cat at play.
Winter, the elder, appeared to be totally disinterested. He would watch the dot of light move for a minute or two then he would look away, toward the window like there was something better to see beyond the curtains. Sometimes Winter napped even as Summer bounced around the room, wild with determination. (Come to think of it, I wonder if Winter had a thyroid problem? Occasionally, I can totally relate to his lethargy.)
This month at Friendship Fellowship at Pineda, our theme for worship services is Mystery. Like the two completely different personalities of the cats I described above, our season of winter is filled with mystery. Of course, scientifically speaking, we know why it’s dark but for most of us, this time of “absence of light” provides opportunities to wonder and reflect for even in Florida, the arrival of December means fewer hours of daylight. Evenings approach sooner than we desire. At seven in the evening, we look around and think, “It must be getting close to eleven, right?” Although darkness invites us to slow down a little, most of us still long for light.
Perhaps the best part of our winter holidays is the appearance of illuminations. We are delighted to gaze at twinkling lights on evergreen trees (at Christmas), candles ablaze on a menorah (during Hanukkah) or flames flickering on a kinara (a candle holder set alight for Kwanzaa).
This holiday season, I hope you’ll be a little bit like Summer, the cat. May you experience joy at the appearance of the dancing lights because by now, most of us have had more than enough dark dreary days of concern. Let’s make a solemn vow to sing, dance and pursue the light of hope in the advancing days. May we become unfrozen by fear and allow our hearts to celebrate. May it be so.
Swaying back and forth to the rhythm of celestial voices…
Do not sit alone in the dark while creation sings three-part harmony.
Dance, my friends. Dance wildly, sing joyfully, fill your heart with the beauty of the Beloved
As the Beloved turns your soul to light.”
– An excerpt from a poem by Om Prakash.
I knew a woman who had two cats. “Winter” was the name of one of them and “Summer” was the name of the other. Their personalities could not have been more different. Winter was huge. His stomach touched the ground when he walked. He moved very slowly except when he heard his food hit the dish! Summer was big also, but she was not as chubby as Winter. For example, her tummy did not swing back and forth as she sauntered.
Summer loved to chase things. The minute my friend would pull a small pen light from inside a desk drawer, Summer would pace. When we clicked the light on, pointed the beam at the floor projecting the tiny target, Summer would pounce. She seemed very serious in her attempts to capture the moving light. My friend and I giggled uncontrollably as we watched the younger cat at play.
Winter, the elder, appeared to be totally disinterested. He would watch the dot of light move for a minute or two then he would look away, toward the window like there was something better to see beyond the curtains. Sometimes Winter napped even as Summer bounced around the room, wild with determination. (Come to think of it, I wonder if Winter had a thyroid problem? Occasionally, I can totally relate to his lethargy.)
This month at Friendship Fellowship at Pineda, our theme for worship services is Mystery. Like the two completely different personalities of the cats I described above, our season of winter is filled with mystery. Of course, scientifically speaking, we know why it’s dark but for most of us, this time of “absence of light” provides opportunities to wonder and reflect for even in Florida, the arrival of December means fewer hours of daylight. Evenings approach sooner than we desire. At seven in the evening, we look around and think, “It must be getting close to eleven, right?” Although darkness invites us to slow down a little, most of us still long for light.
Perhaps the best part of our winter holidays is the appearance of illuminations. We are delighted to gaze at twinkling lights on evergreen trees (at Christmas), candles ablaze on a menorah (during Hanukkah) or flames flickering on a kinara (a candle holder set alight for Kwanzaa).
This holiday season, I hope you’ll be a little bit like Summer, the cat. May you experience joy at the appearance of the dancing lights because by now, most of us have had more than enough dark dreary days of concern. Let’s make a solemn vow to sing, dance and pursue the light of hope in the advancing days. May we become unfrozen by fear and allow our hearts to celebrate. May it be so.
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