Mark 1:35-39
“In the morning,
while it was still very dark, he got up and went out to a deserted place, and there he
prayed.”
(Mark 1:35 )
“Rise and shine,” my mother cheerily sang as she turned on the
light and opened the shades. I can’t say
I always appreciated her wakeup call. Her true purpose was to invite me
again to confront a world I would rather have ignored for a few more
hours. The darkness of cold winter
mornings still don’t entice, though Cindy’s attempts to reform me continue.
Jesus embraced the darkness, not as an escape, but a means
of preparation. He rises early in Mark’s
narrative to spend time in prayer. We
are often called to emulate his actions, as if righteousness is best served in
the wee hours of the morning. However,
even in the early morning darkness, his quiet moments were interrupted as his
disciples called him back to the demands of the day.
Rising early, pausing in the middle of the day, spending
quiet moments in the evening…there is no magic in the clock. The message of the
text isn’t the hour, but the commitment to the task. The Lenten journey calls
us to these quiet moments.
Prayer: Creator God, who marks time with your own hands, please
help me make time for you this day. Amen.
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