Dearest Father, we long for light, but

Dearest Father, we long for light, but dwell in darkness. We crave the warmth of the sun, but crawl into our caverns of sin and sadness. We are a people who prefer the misery and melancholy that we know then the majesty of Your mercy and might that you offer. We are like the tired and tragic creature of Tolkien’s imagination, withered and worn, waylaid by our own wanton wickedness, shrinking from the light, and slinking into the shadows. Free us from this state. Rescue us from the night that enshrouds us. Have mercy upon our wretchedness. Illuminate our hearts, our souls, and our minds.…