Last night, as we came to the end of Tenebrae, a young girl carried the Christ Candle out of the church. Then, in total darkness, following the strepitus, this same young girl carried the Christ light down the long aisle of the nave, through the chancel, and replaced it on the altar. In that total darkness, as only the light of Christ illuminated the space, I wondered if God cared that it was a female acolyte that carried his light. My mind expanded upon this question--does the morphology or physiology of the person who carries the Christ light matter to God? Does the perfection or lack thereof matter to God? Does the wisdom or simplicity matter to God? As the young girl walked forward into the darkness, the light of Christ shown bright. I could not see her form, only the light of Christ. It did not matter. All those differences that bring walls of separation, fear,and hate crashing down between us do not matter. Only the light of Christ penetrating the darkness mattered.
Then, paradoxically, the illumination of Eliot's words struck me
"I said to my soul, be still, and let the dark come upon you which shall be the darkness of God."
stan runnels+
St. Paul's Kansas City
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