Villanelle for the Second Sunday of Advent
A light has shone at last into our night and though one flame is all that we can see, the darkness has not overcome that light. The light is not a dream, a wish, some trite ideal, but is God’s Son, now born to Mary. His light has shone at last into our night. He’s come to preach good news, restore our sight, to heal our broken hearts and set us free. The darkness has not overcome his light, though it’s tried hard to do so, though it might (for three dark days) have claimed the victory. The light has shone at last into our night and it is growing brighter still. In spite of hell’s best efforts to spread misery, its darkness has not overcome the light. All praise to God, who is and who gives light: Praise Father, Son, and Spirit, one in three. A light has shone at last into our night. The darkness has not overcome the light.
As I’ve said before, a villanelle is a challenging form and lacks the versatility of the sonnet, but I think it works for this theme of light and darkness which is at the heart of Advent.
However dark your night or mine might be, however dark the world around us is, darkness does not get the final word. Light does. After darkness, light.