When Half Spent Was the Night

Dear Friends,

A hymn that stands somewhere between Advent and Christmas in beautiful ways is Lo, How a Rose E'er Blooming. It is listed as a "Christmas" hymn by our hymnal, but the way it captures the darkness before the light makes it feel right at home in Advent to me. It is one of my very favorites. Sufjan Stevens, a singer-songwriter, does a wonderful version of it, capturing the way it is hopeful and joyful but far from sentimental. 

The second verse leaves me speechless.

Isaiah 'twas foretold it,

The Rose I have in mind,

With Mary we behold it,

The Virgin mother kind.

To show God's love aright,

She bore to us a Savior,

When half spent was the night.

It's that last line: "When half spent was the night."

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It's no secret, and I've written about it before, that I'm not a morning person. This is especially true in these short days of winter, when I'm usually up way before the sun. And it was in that early morning darkness, still groggy, maybe grumpy, that I started to church this past Sunday in pitch black—I was feeling that darkness. 

I turned onto Ashland Terrace and as I made my way up the hill, I saw the black sky dancing with the most amazing red streaks of light I think I'd ever seen. I pulled the car over to take it in. The sun wasn't up yet, but those reds assured me that it would be. 

When half spent was the night. 

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On Wednesday, we gathered—as we almost always do—for Eucharist in our chapel. Normally it's a quiet service, but every once in a while some joyful noise from our school children spills in. So, along with our prayers, we heard the children practicing in the church for their Christmas program. We bowed our heads in prayer, ready to say our confession of sin. It's always a solemn moment, as we reflect on the ways that we've failed to live God's love.

And in that quiet, mournful moment I heard Christmas joy bursting LOUDLY from the students practicing next door. The dark and gloom of sin wasn't the only presence in that chapel. There was the rhythm and tone of grace around us.

Half spent was the night.

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This hymn, those reminders in the morning light, and the clash of confession and raucous caroling teach us something that is always true. The darkness, the evil, and the sin around us are never the whole story and never the final word. Rather, we press on toward the whole truth, which is that the goodness and love of God must and will have the final say. Darkness, evil, and sin are real, but they will lose. The night is half spent, and the day of God's love will dawn. 

God bless,

Quinn+