Debbie Champagne Notes from the Chaplain

CHAPLAIN’S NOTES

Light/ Dark and Dark / Light

Ihave started reading some books that I am going to use for my Doctorate of

Ministry (DMin) at Campbell Divinity. I am doing my DMin on darkness because I have realized that for most of my pastoral ministry I have sat with people in their darkest hours. One of the books that I just finished is called “The Impact of God.” It is a book written about St. John of the Cross who coined the phrase “The dark night of the soul.” St. John’s contention is that every believer will at some point go through a dark time on their journey with Christ.

I think about the Israelites as they left Egypt on their trek to the Promised Land. One of the first things God did for them was to show up in a pillar of cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night (Exodus 13:21). God wanted them to know that the God they served was going to be with them during the day and during the night. They need not worry about God’s presence! And I think of my favorite Psalm, Psalm 139 which says in verses 11-12: “If I say, ‘Surely the darkness will hide me and the light become night around me,’ even the darkness will not be dark to you; the night will shine like the day, for darkness is as light to you.” Light / Dark. Dark / Light. All the same. God is there. God is present.

I have to admit that with the lifestyle changes we have to make with this pandemic, I have had times of great sadness and have found myself in a “dark” place. I have had to stay away from my ministry for almost 2 months which meant that my daily “anchors” were missing. I felt completely disoriented. I would wake up every morning wondering “what day is it?!?!” And I just felt sad with all of the bad news I would hear on the news. My life had been turned upside down and I felt completely bamboozled by it all. So …

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… Chaplain’s Notes Cont.

… the sadness at times would wash over me like a wave on the beach.

And because I have gone through dark times with God before, this time I didn’t worry where God went. I knew that God was sitting right there beside me even in my darkest of days. I have learned that I can finally trust in God’s presence no matter how I am feeling.

And so now that the light has started to shine a bit more, I smile that the God who was with me in the dark is just as content to be with me in the light.

Light / Dark. Dark / Light.

Cari

A Note on Cari:

Rev. Cari Willis

In addition to being chaplain to death row inmates in North Carolina and Virginia, Cari is also a spiritual advisor locally, is working on her Doctor of Ministry degree, helps the BBC staff in running the food pantry (and ensuring that they all stay humble!), and still has time to grab a Starbucks Peppermint Mocha in the midst of it all!

yourstoryholder@gmail.com