Rev. Lori: on The Light of Resistance and the Blessings of Imbolc
A version of this reflection was originally published in the previous week’s Friday Flyer.
Hello Good People,
The light is returning. In all the ways possible! I began noticing this week how it gets lighter earlier in the morning and stays light later. In spite of the bitter cold temperatures I feel some encouragement by the addition of the minutes. I feel like light is also returning on in other areas of my consciousness. As hard and sad as things can feel these days, the light of effective resistance is shining. Small wins are popping up in the nation and in our community. Talks have started in Saco for a more collaborative approach to offering warming to our unhoused neighbors. We donated more than 267 kits to be distributed in the Biddeford encampments and Britt LaShier says they are being recieved with great joy! This support holds up our flame and shines the light! Not just for our unhoused neighbors but also for those who sow up for this collaborative effort donating and spending time assembling. It has been delightful getting to know folks in service to others.
This week we will shine our light by celebrating Imbolc and honoring Brigid, Celtic Goddess of fertility and Irish Saint. In our cozy Parish Hall, we will hear Brigid's story and our youth will help facilitate a ritual that involves honoring the elements and getting ready for spring. It is not to be missed!
A Poem about Brigid
Brigid at Imbolc
In the thin light
between frost and thaw,
Brigid walks the fields
with a quiet flame cupped in her hands.
She is the warmth under snow,
the milk rising in the ewe,
the breath that says *not yet spring*
and still—*almost*.
Her fire does not roar.
It waits.
A candle on a windowsill,
a promise stitched into the dark.
At Imbolc we listen
for what is stirring—
the courage to begin again,
the faith to tend what is small.
Brigid teaches us this:
light does not hurry,
but it does not fail.
We will light our tiny flames this week in acknowledgment of the returning light, the warmth it brings to thaw us and the reassurance that light always returns again!
Rev Lori Whittemore
(she, her, hers)
Unitarian Universalist Church of Saco Biddeford