Darkness is not the enemy of hope.  It is the place where hope goes to gather strength.  Yet we live in a world that urges us to avoid the darkness and move toward the light as quickly as possible.  But spiritually and emotionally, darkness is not always a problem to be solved.  Often, darkness is a necessary part of our human journey.  When daylight returns in winter, the earth doesn’t rush.  It turns degree by degree.  And then, before we realize it, the morning arrives earlier, and the shadows shorten.  Our inner seasons move in much the same way.