WALKING IN DARKNESS

 

When discussing spiritual things, walking in darkness is usually a very bad idea.  Darkness generally refers to being without the Light, Jesus. This is truly a bad thing.

But darkness was not abolished at the time of creation; it was divided by the inclusion of light.

There is good side of darkness….

Imagine with me, if you will, how much we would not know if there was no darkness:  We would not understand the blessing of the sun and all that it accomplishes.  We might not realize the need for rest that is provided by the night.  But, most of all, we would be missing out on the awareness of God that we get through seeing the stars in the sky at night.  The stars, the moon and the planets are amazing to see, but if we did not have night, would we even know they are there?  Would they be able to declare to us the Glory of God and His handiwork?  The night sky is something absolutely amazing, and many people are barely aware of it.  Man made light helps to obscure much of what is out there.

Have you ever been in a place where it is pitch-black?  There are many caverns and caves where the light does not penetrate and without bringing our own lights, we could see nothing at all in these places.  If you have been to the Oregon Caves or a similar place you have been in such blackness when the lights were turned off.  You truly cannot see ANYTHING at all.

Getting out into the country can help one find some peaceful time for staring at the stars in wonderment.  But even then, man made light interferes in some way.  I remember camping in the Dumont Dunes in Southern CA and enjoying the night sky as we sat around the campfire.  But, even there, the lights from Las Vegas and over the hills in CA edged out some of the darkness.  Light is invasive.  Once it is released it continues to flow and spread even after it goes out.  That is an amazing fact about God’s universe that scientists are dealing with daily.  Stars that they believe have gone out are still seen today.  You cannot open a door and let darkness in, but you can let the light out.  Isn’t that an amazing thought?

Even at the ocean, it is hard to be in complete darkness.  The phosphorus reflection of the night light off of the breaking waves bleeds into the sky around us.  But, one night we camped in the mountains near Brewster WA and we experienced serious darkness.  This area was sheltered from light sources from anywhere.  There were no big cities or nearby towns to disturb the night sky.  That was amazing.  Without the fire or a lantern or flashlight you could not see even your own hand in front of your face.  This made the adventure even more exciting because the circumstances of this campsite precluded using alternative measures to take care of natures 3:30am wake-up call.  I had to make it to the out house.  It was a challenge.  I grabbed the flashlight and made my way by memory down the path, but the flashlight was about as helpful as a firefly.  As I walked I realized that I could not see much, but I could see my socks. They were white, and they were bright.  Wow, I thought.  What’s with that?  So I turned off the flashlight for a minute and sure enough, I could still see my socks.  I was amazed.  I could not see my legs, hands, arms or anything around me, but I could see my socks.  What in the world?

Then I remembered the laws of color:  White is the absence of any color so that all light that strikes it comes back to the viewer.  But what light was striking it?  Well, I was in a clearing and the sky was heavy with stars.  Starlight travels.  Starlight was striking my socks and I could see it bouncing off of the white.  Wow!  I was dumbfounded.

Seeing that phenomenon did not help me get to my destination, but is sure fascinated me.  Light let loose will stir the whole universe and God’s light will be seen by the universe through us if we let it be so.  We do not have to personally touch or talk to every single person on this earth for God to work His miracle; we just have to open the door and let the light loose as we go about our days touching and speaking with as many people as He sends our way.

Jesus said, “I am the Light.”  And His light is much greater than the ever so beautiful starlight.  When His light reflects back from something it shows not just that something, but the way to a destination; for He is “The Way, The Truth, and The Life.”

May we be sure reflections of His Light as we travel along these rough roads of life.  May we open the door and let Him shine through us and touch lives far, far away as well as right next door.  May He be the light of our lives, shining from a hill top and not hidden under a bushel.  May we see and show His glory all around us. Amen.