"How do you walk through the valley of the shadow?
"Can you navigate if you get lost?
"What lights your way?
"At some time, all of us pass through life's inevitable 'shadow lands' — that state of being where everything seems drained of color and purpose; where 'the sun is always shining somewhere else, over a hill, around a bend in the road,' writes C.S. Lewis. For many, that 'somewhere else' is easily reached, soon enough, but for others, the direction is different, leading into the treacherous terrain of depression. . . .
"There is an answer — deceptively simple, remarkably strong, reverenced, yet accessible: the ancient Christian tradition of vigil-keeping. Passed down through generations, this practice is a time-honored spiritual way to face life's stretches of difficulty, uncertainty, and waiting. A rich custom that has never gone stale, it can help us illuminate the overwhelming experience of depression and renew our sense of God's care for us in the midst of it all.
"Vigil-keeping, by its very nature, is an ideal 'fit' with the intrinsic nature of depression. Both involve waiting and watching, trust and endurance, and an interplay of light and dark. . . . A vigil teaches us how to abide, trust, and bear with darkness in the presence of God: skills essential to enduring a depression, which seldom moves along as rapidly as we would wish.
"The vigil practice does not push us to move faster than we can — to act, to do It allows us simply to be, just as we are, and in certain phases of depression, simply being is all we can manage. A vigil honors and supports this stage, and in so doing, helps us move on when the timing is right and we are ready. . . .
"A vigil offers a simple, accessible structure for a day that seems vacant, a night that seems endless. Time is arranged around periods of prayer, readings and reflection. As we pause for these short intervals, we become aware that we are less isolated than we feel. We are, indeed, surrounded by a great cloud of witnesses. . . .
"A vigil is an offering of your time and presence. This time is dedicated to be specially aware of God, in varied ways. Vigils can be held on any day, at any time-not restricted to nights. The amount of time you devote depends on you. Simply do what you can, what works best for you.
