Should We Avoid Liturgical Language of Light and Dark?
As a church songwriter, I grappled with this question and identified six key considerations.
The Christian Century has published articles on faith in a pluralistic society since 1900, including reporting, commentary, poetry, and essays.
I recently worked on a project focused on the Advent, Christmas, and Epiphany cycle, exploring themes like hope, waiting, incarnation, joy, and gift.
One theme that required careful consideration was the interplay of darkness and light.
Many Christians would like to excise light/dark language from our liturgical texts—or at least exclude it from any new ones—and for pretty persuasive reasons.
Author's summary: Exploring the use of light and dark language in liturgical texts.