Turning Inward
Sitting on the chancel on a Sunday morning with the assignment of extinguishing a candle for Lent, the view across the sanctuary was dim, flat, without shadows. That, of course, was because the shutters were closed. We do that at Lent to symbolically wait in darkness for the light of Easter.
I’ve sat on the chancel before when the shutters are open. In that state there is a lightness and airiness – in the physical environment but also the perceived mood. Sitting in that position, you see the faces of the people bathed in light. Looking out the windows, you can see the sky, the trees and even the birds flitting around. There’s a sense of the world outside the church mingling with the world inside.
When the shutters are closed, however, there is a feeling that the church has turned inward on itself, and that is an appropriate feeling to have during Lent. As we sit in the symbolic darkness awaiting the brightness that comes on Easter morning when the shutters are thrown open, the darkness turns our focus and attention inward.
It’s a feeling that reflects the Gospel stories, when Christ begins to prepare his disciples for what will happen in Jerusalem. There’s a lot of confusion and questions in the growing darkness. There’s less outreach – the miracles and spectacles fade from view – as the talk turns to what is coming and what roles the disciples will play in the coming days and in God’s new kingdom. It’s a somber and unsettled time, no more so than in the upper room and later in the Garden of Gethsemane, where Jesus bows his head and turns inward in prayer.
But this darkness is more than symbolic; it has a very real physical effect. In the dimming light we lose our depth perception. Distances, divisions, even colors become flat. In that environment we are less bold, less sure-footed. We take steps more carefully, deliberately, even tenuously. Our instincts are to look around and see if we are alone, and if needed, to look for someone to lean on or at least walk with us.
And isn’t that the point of this season?