Darkness and Silence

And as Jesus passed on from there, two blind men followed him, crying aloud, “Have mercy on us, Son of David.” When he entered the house, the blind men came to him, and Jesus said to them, “Do you believe that I am able to do this?” They said to him, “Yes, Lord.” Then he touched their eyes, saying, “According to your faith be it done to you.” And their eyes were opened. And Jesus sternly warned them, “See that no one knows about it.” But they went away and spread his fame through all that district.

As they were going away, behold, a demon-oppressed man who was mute was brought to him. And when the demon had been cast out, the mute man spoke. And the crowds marveled, saying, “Never was anything like this seen in Israel.” But the Pharisees said, “He casts out demons by the prince of demons.” Matthew 9:27-34


When my children were small we all called the thin crescent moon, a fingernail moon. The other night, after an evening meeting, I looked out over Crescent Harbor and saw our fingernail moon. It's been raining for man days, so a break in the clouds, enough to see the moon, were indeed a welcome sign. This time of year we lose light rapidly, and as they days get increasingly shorter, I am so aware of the darkness that can enfold us here on this island.

Jesus continues his healing mission, bringing sight to the blind and voice to the voiceless. The religious leaders continue their criticism and their demonization. The goodness of God was made evident and the people that were healed could not keep silent. Sometimes though, doubt creeps up, even in the face of absolute godliness. The presence oft he living God is sometimes not enough for some. We can get enshrouded in our own silence and darkness, and forget to reach out in faith. We can let the darkness enfold us rather than crying out to the living God.

Today I ask God to give me the courage to ask for what I need today. May we all be encouraged, no matter how dark the days, no matter how voiceless we feel, to cry out to God who loves us more than we can imagine. May we not let the circumstances of our day diminish our faith, rather, may we cry out to God, who will give us new eyes and new voices for the days to come.