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We rail against the darkness, light our
fires, dance and shout. And yet…

We needn’t fear the darkness.
It has its own purpose.
It is the time of rest and renewal,
of nurture and healing,
of new beginnings waiting to emerge.
It brings the opportunity for sleep, for
hibernation, for germination.
It is a time of transition, of processing,
of learning to let go.
Darkness has a beauty all its own.
We needn’t fear the darkness

We strike back against the silence, sing
our songs, beat our drums,
shout, and stomp our feet. And yet…

We needn’t fear the silence.
It bestows its own unspoken blessings.
It is only in the silences that we are
able to hear once again
that still small voice residing deep
within.
It is only in the profound quiet that the
deepest of yearnings of our heart
and the wisdom of our soul can make
themselves fully known.
Silence speaks a message all its own.
We needn’t fear the silence.

The lessons learned in the dusk & the
hush are not meant to remain in
hiding.
We do not stay at rest forever.
From the dark and the shadow, from
the silence and the solitude,
We carry our insight into the light
Nurtured and more fully aware
of the inner most working of our
being
we carry this knowledge with us
back into the growing radiance…
when we are ready…
but until then … we remain
… waiting to emerge.

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Rev. Kathy Schmitz

Minister at First Unitarian Church of Orlando, Florida

Rev. Kathy Schmitz has served as minister of First Unitarian Church of Orlando, Florida since 2010. A native New Englander, she graduated from Andover Newton Theological School and served for eight years at All Souls Church in Braintree, MA. After their youngest graduated from college, she and her husband, Charlie Behrens, decided to try life outside the Northeast and she served two interim ministries, one at Pathways in Southlake, TX, and the other at the UU Congregation of Miami, FL. Prior to seminary, Rev. Kathy was a software engineer. Although she maintains her engineering perspective, she now loves developing people instead of software.

In Orlando, Rev. Kathy is an active member of the Interfaith Council of Central Florida, a regular contributor to the local paper, and active in community and justice activities. She also enjoys travel, theater, and doting on her three adorable grandsons and two daughters.

Latest posts by Rev. Kathy Schmitz (see all)

• We Needn’t Fear the Darkness - December 1, 2016