As the Dark Awaits the Dawn, ELW 261, stanza 2
Devotion
As the blue expectant hour
before the silv'ring skies,
we long to see your day arise,
whole and wise, whole and wise,
O lucent Morning Star.
The alarm was set for an earlier than usual wake up time. The reason was simple: to see the sun rise over Lake Superior. What is it about a sunrise that has such a powerful draw upon us that we would sacrifice sleep and the comfort of a bed in order to witness it with our very eyes?
I am reminded of the litany at the beginning of Morning Prayer: "The Lord's unfailing love and mercy never cease. Fresh as the morning and sure as the sunrise." The certainty of the sunrise each and every day is a simple reminder of the confidence we have in God's steadfast love and mercy. Yet our longing to see the dawning of the day of redemption when God's reign of shalom will be established on earth as in heaven keeps us always on the lookout.