Lunar Spirituality

We have grown up in a society of light, colors, and beauty. Our society has tried to teach us to turn a blind eye to people in the dark recesses of life.

The fairy tales we tell our children are softened, sanitized versions of the classic tales told by Hans Christian Anderson and the Brothers Grimm, the teachable, dark themes polished to a safe, palatable sparkle.

Our religious communities have taught us that a true faith is one that never doubts, never struggles, never hurts, never fails, and never walks in the dark.. We portray that faith must be solar, always bright, and never overcast or dark. I have even heard people say, if you have doubt, then you cannot really believe. But I guess that is where I differ. I believe that faith goes through phases like the moon. There are nights it is full and our faith reflects the glory of God. And there are nights when life seems overcast, and the moon is waxing where everything seems to be fading away and dim. And there are nights when the moon is new and totally dark. On those nights the only light that is left is that of distant stars glimmering though the cloud cover. The light of our faith never disappears completely, but for most people there are times when it more compares to a lunar faith than a solar one.

Paul and Silas on their missionary journeys knew of a faith that was woven with darkness. They experienced days of rejection, house arrest, imprisonment, and persecution. One such incident found them in jail, singing at midnight.. Somehow they were able to be filled with joy even during a difficult time. Their faith was not extinguished in the dark, but tempered by their circumstance.

I wonder,

• If we trust the rhythm of dark and light, what can we learn from it?
• If we accept the phase of the moon in our spiritual life, can we find joy when things are darkest?

In the same way that the fairy tales of yesterday engaged the dark realities of life, what happens if we embrace the night sky of our faith. I wonder, does looking into the the lunar phases of belief and doubt, struggle and pain, give us rest? Is it possible by accepting the phases of faith, that we are able to experience peace rather than fear in the dark?