5 The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness can never extinguish it – John 1:5 NLT
My two year old has a bear night light. While we aim to get him asleep while the summer sun is still battling the night sky, the moon often wins before we do. Any parent will tell you this dance is an adorable, but relentless battle of the wills. Books, teeth brushing, construction vehicles, potty, more books rocking, and laughing, all extend the time to darkness. His parents turn on his sound machine and the warm glow of his illuminated bear before the darkness takes over. We do this because we know, eventually, that both darkness and sleep will come.
Much of what we see is obscured by shadows. No matter how great our lamp is, there are still corners we find blurry. Whether we squint or study, we are still engaged with a certain mystery. We often hold darkness as our enemy – something to fear, but maybe it is more. Scripture uses this as a metaphor for a life away from God for a reason, but we must also be willing to embrace the mystery beyond the glow. To be clear, this redemptive light is more than sufficient. Yet, in the wisdom of our Creator, it is not fully clear.
No one has the darkness figured out quite yet. I am reminded of this when I interact with the wise and humble of this world. No matter how long they have lived, or how many transformations and experiences they have had, they still communicate a limit to their knowledge. This is what it means to be alive.
The more you live, the less you know.
The mystery and limitation are frustrating, but they also serve as a motivator to bring our light into the darkest corners of our mind and world. It is in the mystery that we learn of God. The unease is what fuels our faith, many times ripping us from the comfort of our rocking chair.
The time in which we live is dark, and while every generation has shared a similar view, this time truly feels different. Many of us are astounded by the lack of wisdom and disdain for simple truth. These are often exchanged in favor of preference and confirmation bias. Many within the Church body have freely given up grace and love of neighbor for something more loud, more destructive, more dark. To them, the mystery has long been found out and revealed. Their faith is their weapon instead of a warm glow. Be leery of these people, for they are neither discerning nor wise. Like pride, staunch certainty often comes before the fall.
It is often redundant, but always necessary, to repeat the core tenants of our faith and the character of a Christ who loves to the point of His own death. May this be the light we seek and share with others. May the darkness challenge us to hold our light, to listen, and to love.
Matt simon blog 