Yesterday was the winter solstice; the shortest day of the year in the Northern Hemisphere. Places near the North Pole get only twilight, no daylight at all. I don’t mind the darkness, I find it comforting and that fact that it closes me in makes me feel secure. But I know that is not the case for many. Several people have mentioned to me that this has been such a gray and dark autumn season that depression and anxiety is on the rise for those who experience SAD (seasonal affective disorder).
Even though I do not mind the darkness I am also keen to look for signs of light and bits of sunshine through the dark wintry days. I stumbled on to one of those reminders of love yesterday. We have a church teddy bear named Theo. Theo has been part of my life since the mid-1980’s. He comes to church with me and then goes off to Sunday School, or what we call here Faith Trek. The kids scramble to get the chance to hold him and when I forget to take him with me I am given firm reminders to bring him next week.
Theo has liturgically appropriate outfits for each season of the church year. He wears red during Pentecost, green in Epiphany, purple in Lent and blue during Advent. He also has Advent hankies, the little squares that tuck into his pocket. Each hanky has the word of the day written on it…Hope, Peace, Joy and Love. Yesterday was “Love” Sunday and when I pulled out the hanky I was reminded, as I am every year, of two children, brother and sister, who had Theo one Sunday many years ago. This is because while they were caring for him that morning in Sunday School they found a pencil and wrote their names on his hanky! There under the word “LOVE” in child-scrawl is written “Katie and Jeff”. Every year when re-discover their names I am awash with memories of those two and the many children who have held Theo over the years. They were a sweet pair and I was very fond of them as I have been of many of the little ones who have populated my various congregations. It is always delightful to hear of their activities and achievements years later.
While speaking of Theo, I should mention that he has had quite a history, he has gone to camp, spent nights in the hospital with ailing children, gone on retreat, had sleep-overs, attended parties, he was even a guest at a wedding! Seeing Katie and Jeff’s names was the little bit of sunshine that started my day yesterday. A reminder of love on the darkest day of the year. Katie and Jeff are adults now fully established in their careers and probably have no idea that I still think of them every year (unless they happen to read this blog) but seeing their names reminded me of the thread of connection that runs through life and the role that the church can play in connecting people. It can happen in profound and significant ways or in simple ways, like asking a child to hold the church bear. The impact and power of relationship flows both ways when friendship and mentorship is lived out in community. This reminder is the flash of light on the dark, winter days of December.
