The First Sunday in Advent -- Isaac Penington
A Reflection on Isaac Penington’s Concerning the Light (pp. 76-77) “In him was life, and life was the light of men. And the light shineth in darkness, and the darkness comprehendeth it not.” John 1:4-5 I tend to be a worrier. One thing I’ve noticed over the years is that whatever anxieties I have always seem worse in the middle of the night. Somehow the onset of darkness magnifies the fears and makes them seem larger than life. As I toss and turn in my sleep, I often feel overwhelmed by the weight of the worry. Inevitably, though, dawn comes, and the light of a new day brings these fears back into perspective, making them manageable again. And then I wonder what all the fuss was about. Strange how that happens. Darkness seems to magnify worry and breed fear; it fuels the imagination, too, conjuring up all manner of demons lurking in the shadows; and, it isolates, making us feel more alone and vulnerable. It is no wonder children are afraid of the dark and that the ghosts