Eighteenth Day

Daniel 2.13, 16-19a

2

13 A decree of execution was issued for all the scholars in the land, and a search was made for Daniel and his companions.

16 [...] Daniel begged to be allowed a chance to give Nebuchadnezzar an interpretation. 17 He then went home and told Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah, his companions, 18 to pray to God to let them know the secret of the dream so they would not be put to death with all the other scholars in Babylon. 19 And God revealed the secret to Daniel in a vision in the night.

"I am sitting in the dark..."

by Desiray Chee

found in Conflict Resolution for Holy Beings (WW Norton, 2015)

I am sitting in the dark.

In the dark I am sitting...

without singing any sort of song

...without singing I wouldn't be able to talk...

now all I can do is wait, wait for the sun

wait for the birds to sing, and all that

may happen when the sun comes up...

I am sitting in the dark. In the dark I am sitting.

Today’s Art Practice

What You’ll Need

From Your Home:

• A public space.

Directions: Today we are focusing on observation. Find a public space where you will feel comfortable sitting for 20 minutes. Perhaps this space is the park by your house, the Library, the Lobby of your Apartment Building, a Food Court, etc.

Once you have chose your location, find a comfortable place to sit down.

Sit in that place for 20 minutes and observe the life happening around you.

What do you notice? What do you wonder?

If you like, this playlist can help you keep track of time. Once it stops playing, 20 minutes will be over.

Let’s Pray…

We Wait in the Darkness

from the Presbyterian Church of Aotearoa, New Zealand (abridged)

We wait in the darkness,

expectantly, longingly, anxiously, thoughtfully.

The darkness is our friend.

In the darkness of the womb,

we have all been nurtured and protected.

In the darkness of the womb

the Christ-child was made ready for the journey into light.

It is only in the darkness

that we can see the splendour of the universe-

blankets of stars, the solitary glowings of the planets.

It was the darkness that allowed the Magi to find the star

that guided them to where the Christ-child lay.

In the darkness of the night,

desert people find relief from the cruel relentless heat of the sun.

In the blessed desert darkness

Mary and Joseph were able to flee with the infant Jesus to safety in Egypt.

In the darkness of sleep,

we are soothed and restored, healed and renewed.

In the darkness of sleep, dreams rise up.

God spoke to Joseph and the wise men through dreams.

God is speaking still.

Sometimes in the solitude of the darkness our fears and concerns,

our hopes and visions rise to the surface.

We come face to face with ourselves

and with the road that lies ahead of us.

And in that same darkness

we find companionship for the journey.

In that same darkness

we sometimes allow ourselves to wonder and worry

whether the human race is going to survive.

And then, in the darkness we know that you are with us, O God,

yet still we await your coming.

In the darkness that contains both our hopelessness and our hope,

we watch for a sign of God's hope.

For you are with us, O God, in darkness and in light.