Advent Darkness

Man it gets dark early over here. Most days it doesn't even get fully light until 8 or 8:30 in the morning. Most evenings it's dark by 4 in the afternoon. And it isn't even the 21st yet. Tomorrow, it's supposed to be foggy when I get up...and the fog probably won't lift for most of the day. (Contrary to popular opinion, it isn't like that very often in England anymore. It used to because of all the coal ash in the air--the water molecules would cling to the larger ash particles. Now that coal isn't burned as much anymore, the air is cleaner, the fog doesn't last all day or happen as often.) Plus, it's been fairly cloudy and rainy over the last couple of weeks. As a result, it can simply not get light for days on end. You've heard of Seasonal Affective Disorder. You've heard of winter suicide rates in Alaska. There's a reason. The darkness sucks. One day, or even two days, doesn't seem like much, but when it stretches out over an extended period of time, it gets to you.

Then there's the darkness in the world. I don't know how much media coverage this has been getting over in the States, but there's been a serial killer striking in the county just south of the one I live in. Ipswich, the main town in the county of Suffolk, is a fairly sleepy place. Not much goes on there, or even here in Norwich for that matter. But Ipswich (about 50 miles south of here) has been invaded these last couple of weeks when five women (all of the prostitutes, unfortunately) were all declared missing and later found dead--all within a matter of 10 days. It's been all over the news. National and international media have swarmed in on Ipswich (population approx 118,000--still called a town because it doesn't have a cathedral). The police have fielded over 10,000 calls from the public (source: BBCNews) and today have actually arrested someone. Understandably, the events of these past three weeks have put a damper on the holiday spirit in and around Ipswich. (Hasn't had much discernable effect here in Norwich that I can tell.) The streets at night are empty. People are scared. What is supposed to be a time of joyful anticipation has become one of dread and fear.

I've decided that Advent is decidedly not my favorite season in the Church calendar. All the waiting and the darkness seems overwhelming. (Not to mention all the carols I've had to sing.... carols I didn't even know until I got here last year I can now sing parts of by memory.) But the Light still seems distant. This week is slower than last week. But I'm tired. Physically, emotionally, spiritually. And the darkness in the world has contributed to this Advent. With the violence in Suffolk and across the world, the dark world into which Jesus came has not been more apparent. Christmas is in a week. It can't get here soon enough. From then on (actually from the 22nd on), the days will get gradually brighter. My diary gets emptier. And I get a holiday to sunny Portugal (Pedro...I'm putting my order in now for sunny weather. See what you can do for me, will you?) Unfortunately, none of that seems to help with the wider world-wide issues.

I know the Light is on its way. It just seems to be taking longer this year.

Hurry up, Jesus!