The minister on Sunday talked about shadows.

An artist had her paintings on display. In a series of three there was one with only light colors, one with only darks and a third that incorporated both. Clearly the first two were both unfinished and unsatisfying. It is when the palette includes dual elements that there can be depth. 

We were given black sheets and small sticks, and told to scratch away and see what happened. The room hummed with children and grown ups all finding the bright colors hidden beneath the veneer. Then we were serenaded by a quintet of musicians to a gorgeous piece based on psalm 23. The lead singer's voice pierced through any shadows I had been hiding under, and blessed all of us to overflowing. 

I do not need to scratch very long to find the dark places in my life and marriage that have brought a dimension that cannot show up when everything goes according to plan. 

Rather than simply reading the lesson, which was the psalm, he invited all of us to recite or follow along with him. I welcomed being part of the throbbing chorus of voices. There are such a deluge of issues I am unsure of in my life, the familiarity of words that reach back into my childhood is soothing. The rocking ship that is the economy, and the state of the union feels less ominous when I proclaim that I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever. As if I mean it.