Tags

, , ,

Darkness is a great place to hide. I have fond memories of our church minister at a firework party hiding in the dark away from the fire waiting to pounce on people. He took it a little too seriously to be honest. In the darkness of mine and Anna’s bedroom I have shot many a sneaky v sign or disgruntled face without being discovered – before you judge me she has too. As I have recounted before, I would hide in the dark of a handy cupboard to jump out on my unsuspecting wife.

Similarly we can often convince ourselves that the metaphorical darkness is just as effective a place to hide, when in reality it depends who is looking for you. Sometimes it is easier for us to carry on in darkness rather than face the light. We convince ourselves that we have some how escaped the sphere of God’s vision, knowledge, influence, and reach, and rather than turn back towards the light we retreat further into the darkness. The film Nightwatch put it like this ‘It is easier for a man to destroy the light inside him than to fight the darkness all around him.’

Psalm 139:7-12 ‘Where can I go from your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence? If I go up to the heavens, you are there; if I make my bed in the depths, you are there. If I rise on the wings of the dawn, if I settle on the far side of the sea, even there your hand will guide me, your right hand will hold me fast. If I say, “Surely the darkness will hide me and the light become night around me,” even the darkness will not be dark to you; the night will shine like the day, for darkness is as light to you.’

Rather than entrenching ourselves further in the darkness that enslaves us, rather than fighting the light that is within and without us, let’s embrace the hand that reaches out to save us.