Impossible Light: Reflections on Impossibility, Hope, Light, and Darkness

Impossible Light is a series of daily reflections on faith, the cosmos, and our belonging to one another, written for the season of Advent.

You might be wondering: Where does this name come from?

First, I owe full credit for the word “impossible” to Catherine Keller and her book Cloud of the Impossible: Negative Theology and Planetary Entanglement. This book blew my mind with philosophy, theology, and the possibilities of the impossible. Keller reminds us that the work of theological reflection, thinking about and attempting to put words to how we comprehend God, occupies the realm of the “im/possible.” To reflect upon the unknown and yet seek the knowable. To dance in relationship with God as presence and absence at the same time.

But beyond that, “impossible” seems like a really appropriate word for the state of things these days. From politics to the environment, from failing religious institutions to the widening racial divide in our country — so many things seem impossible: Impossible to overcome. Impossible to face. Impossible to deal with and listen to and teach our children about.

It seems like an impossible time for so many people.

And this leads me to the second word — “light.”

Advent, the 4 weeks that precede the celebration of Christmas, is the season of waiting for the promised light. It is a season about living in darkness (impossibility), not ever entirely certain that the light will return and yet holding out to the hope that, somehow, despite our doubts and uncertainties, the dawn will come.

So this series is the “impossible light.” I hope you feel the necessary tension between those two words. That in the face of impossibility, light dawns.