By Shandra Newcom, apostle designate

For once you were darkness, but now in the Lord you are light. Live as children of light—for the fruit of the light is found in all that is good and right and true.

More and more I’m understanding that without darkness, there is no light. We see it in the rhythms of the world, of course. Seasons change, birth emerges, joy turns to grief turns to joy again.

The story of Jesus, the One we follow, is no different. Lent is the best example of the rhythm of our faith walk. We wait in darkness, knowing we finally will emerge and live in the light.

There have been moments when I’ve had to choose light over the darkness of my experience. I’ve had to seek in my interior heart that which was good and true. I’ve had to have faith that light would emerge, even from the deepest pain. Through discernment, poetry, song, writing, I’ve found the flicker of hope that pulled me through.

But choosing to live in the light isn’t always a choice one can make alone.

When I’ve been unable to see the light for myself, I’ve found, reflected in the hearts of my community, the light of Christ. I’ve found comfort in connection. I’ve found love in the tenderness and patience of people who show me that living in the light of Christ sometimes comes when someone else carries you in moments of despair and brokenness.

We are God’s beloveds, and we are meant to carry each other. When I’m in darkness, you carry me. When your heart is breaking, I carry you. Living in the light of Christ is interdependence. Living in the light of Christ is our shalom.

In Ephesians we are reminded that Christ shows us the light. During Lent, we are called into a time of waiting. We know the end of the story. We know we are a people of the light. Let us carry one another during the most difficult times in our lives. Christ shows us the way.

We need not fear, for we are one unto each other. In the rhythm of life, death, and rebirth, we find our hope. In Christ, the light has come!

Prayer Phrase

Courage

Spiritual Practice

Breathe deeply and repeat the word “courage” in the silence. Notice how you respond in body, mind, and spirit. Practice the feeling of spiritual strength, of stretching beyond what is comfortable and familiar. Bless the feelings that are evoked. Breathe again. Trust that you have everything you need to follow the Spirit in the places where courage is required today.

Today’s Prayer for Peace

Engage in a daily practice of praying for peace in our world. Click here to read today’s prayer and be part of this practice of peace.