waiting for the night

I am sitting at my desk, waiting for the sun to go down. Being about 4:45 pm at the end of November in Northern Virginia, that will be in about 2 minutes.

Tonight, I am helping a group at our retreat center do some stargazing. They have worked up a cool program linking astronomy and Advent - a kind of "Study the Stars to Prepare for the Coming of Christ" kind of thing. Very wise, man.

I know Advent doesn't technically begin until Sunday, but it feels like tonight is the beginning of it for me. I'm doing Advent stuff with church people and that will start tonight - so here I am waiting for the waiting to begin. I feel like this is New Year's Eve - counting down to the beginning of the counting down.

Anyway, I am looking forward to studying the light tonight. The dim light of the winter stars - the pale light that does not allow the darkness to overcome it. It feels appropriate to sit in the dark, looking for the light, in whatever form it comes, as a way to begin my waiting and hoping for The Light.

Happy waiting y'all.