I’ve never been much of a true morning person. I will start early at times, and enjoy the morning with joy and enthusiasm, but I could just as easily sleep in. But if I am being honest, there is something really special about early mornings. When I start out early, there seems to be so much hope and opportunity in my day. When I start out early, the day does not seem rushed and tasks come with less stress (mostly).
One of my favorite things to do in my earlier days was to go deer hunting in the early morning. Rarely did I care about bagging a deer, though one would be taken from time to time. I was most fond of the hunt because of the time. It is an amazing and awe-inspiring experience to sneak into a deer stand high up in the trees as darkness fills the land and watch the world wake up.
First there is a blink of the eye, and the curiousness of an apparent uptick in light. Often, I would consider whether my eyes were simply adjusting to the dark and the surroundings, or whether the world became a bit more luminate than the blink of the eye before? Then it happens again, and there is little doubt now the world is getting brighter. Then a bird begins to sing, then another, then another with each click of gained luminescence.
Then, out of nowhere, birds are all around, the squirrels are about, and the woods have come alive. Then, seemingly at once, the world is bright and critters are everywhere! Where had they been? It seems as though they started right beside me.
The rising of the sun is not like it’s setting. While a sunset is a beautiful thing, it cannot compare to a sunrise. The sunset slowly meanders into the horizon, the sunrise comes in flashes of moments; the sunset quiets the world, the sunrise sets the world free.
Life is full of sunrises and sunsets. It is interesting to consider how many sunsets we see in our lifetimes, compared to the number of sunrises we witness. The sunset is an easy witness, but the sunrise requires intentionality and purpose. Is it any wonder that so often we focus on the close, on the end, on the quieting down rather than being intentional about witnessing the waking of the world?
Maybe if we saw a few more sunrises, we’d have a little less worry and be a bit more at peace. Maybe the anticipation with hope of the birds singing, and the squirrels roaming, and the light shining is just what we need to chase away the darkness of this broken world.
Our verse for today comes from St. John’s Gospel account, chapter 8 verse 12-
Again Jesus spoke to them, saying, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”
Most gracious and loving Father, when the world turns dark and quiet and we feel abandoned and alone, remind us of the Light of the world by whom life awakens and darkness flees, He who makes the birds sing and the world dance, Thy Son our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we pray; who with Thee and the Holy Ghost art One God, world without end. AMEN.