A story of light dawning,
light that is yearned for, longed for, desperately sought,
a story of light dawning in darkness;
darkness that covers the deep,
darkness that speaks of death.
A story of hope dawning,
hope that is yearned for, longed for, desperately sought,
a story of hope dawning in the midst of despair;
despair that defeats us,
despair that speaks of death.
A story of peace dawning,
peace that is yearned for, longed for, desperately sought,
a story of peace dawning in the midst of violence;
violence that destroys us,
violence that speaks of death.
The story is about Jesus.
A baby dawns as light in the world,
a dayspring of hope, the bright and morning star.
He is the Prince of Peace.
We take our place in this gospel story;
hesitant, unsure, not knowing our lines.
Lord, you are the Author who imagines us.
You created us, you know this story inside out.
In this dark season of adventure,
give us light for the journey, and hope.
Guide our feet into paths of peace.
I am a Mennonite pastor currently teaching theology at Conrad Grebel University College in Waterloo, Ontario. I’ve served congregations in Ontario and most recently, Alberta.