And a confession: I thought that tonight is the longest night of the year. But, it turns out, tomorrow night is a smidgen longer.
At least, tomorrow's daylight is 2 seconds shorter than today's.
Tonight, at our Vespers worship, I said it was the longest night.
What I didn't notice, at all, is that there's a new moon tonight. (And, really, how's one to notice a new moon? Especially when there are so many giant inflatable snow creatures around, basking under palm trees?!?) A new moon makes things feel extra dark, and long. Maybe it's the "darkest night..."
However...I marvel at the information available online. Sunrises and sunsets, daylight hours, tides and moon phases.
Seems funny to me that we can measure the change in season--the solstice--in 2 second increments. I wonder if change happens that way in my life more often. If I've passed tipping points, but hardly noticed, because 2 seconds are so, well, small.
And I think that perhaps Christmas is that way. God's love is incarnate in a new, wonderful, full (if physically small) way, and it barely registers (other than for that group of shepherds, some angels and a small entourage of magi.)
This year, when I'm aware of so many broken, hurting, violence-filled places and lives, I'm hanging on to those 2 seconds.
1 comment:
I love what you did with those two seconds. If they can mark the difference between seasons as dramatic and different as autumn and winter, imagine what they could mark in our lives.
And this is spooky, I had just looked up the solstice to find out the exact time and then I clicked over to see if anything was new on holy trouble and found this gem.
thanks.
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