God of Winter
even at mid-day today the winter solstice sun
crouched low over the southern horizon.
Low noon, and the day is short.
Darkness sits with us early and late,
lingering longer the further north we go.
Bundled against the cold,
the lack of light weighs on us,
and we are plagued with dark worries
in these troubled times.
And yet, you order this big old earth.
Sailing through space it tips only so far,
but no further from the sun.
Thank you for solar power and centripetal forces
which grip us, warm us, and give us life.
Thank you for reminders when we become too
self-absorbed with our own importance:
the world is spinning as it should
without any help from us.
God of the distant Spring,
be with us in this cold season.
Be our light when all other lights fail;
we live and move and have our being
in your love.
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.