Advent Prayer by Lydia Wylie-Kellermann

Oh God,
This Advent we come to you
bent over with an ache in our soul,
with muscles that have held rage,
with eyes bloodshot from tears,
for there is a darkness this year
that is crawling with monsters.
The creatures of patriarchy, white supremacy,
and Christian hegemony
are emerging from their shadows.
Arrogantly crawling into our schools,
our churches and social media.
They are emerging as weaponized water
against water protectors
who are freezing to death.
They are emerging as walls and registries.
And it isn’t going away.

Oh God,
we ask you to be with us
to rest in us.
Remind us of a different kind of darkness
one where there is breath
and silence
and healing.
A darkness where a single flame
can summon our bodies to hope
remembering the ancient word
that the light shines in the darkness
and the darkness has not and will not overcome it.

God,
rest in us.
Still our hearts.
Dry our tears.
Hold our tired bodies.
Sit with us in the silence
as we recall who it is you have uttered us to be.
For these are the hours
that we prepare-
our hearts, our homes,
our communities, our bodies
for it is time to entrust our lives
to the single flame
and carry it together
into the face of the darkness.
Amen