Scripture
Psalm 112: 4 – 5
They rise in the darkness as a light for the upright;
they are gracious, merciful, and righteous.
It is well with those who deal generously and lend,
who conduct their affairs with justice.
2Corinthians 4:6
For it is the God who said, “Let light shine out of the darkness.”
Reflection
We oftentimes speak of light and darkness as opposites. I wonder if that is actually an accurate representation of what light and dark actually mean in our lives. The scripture from Psalm 112 and from 2Corinthians speak to the reality that darkness exists. They don’t speak to the idea that light has to banish darkness, but rather they speak to this idea that light can come out of darkness. Yet, I think that, for many of us, this is a difficult idea to understand.
We often see darkness as something bad, something to be wary of, something that we must be frightened of in our lives. While it is true that we often avoid places at night, for our safety, we have come to see all forms of darkness as places of sin, places that we must avoid in our lives. Even in our stories we see darkness as a negative place to be, we know the story of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. Dr. Jekyll is the good, who is present in the day, but when night comes it is Mr. Hyde, the monster who comes forth. We see the darkness as the place where sin exists, where death holds sway, where we lose the good in ourselves, but I wonder if that is the truth. When we think like this I wonder if we forget that idea of there being comfort found within the darkness. We forget the idea that maybe darkness is a place where we are able to recharge. I wonder if dark places in our lives are places where we come to see the good, where we come to understand ourselves more deeply and finally, when we actually let go, we find God in not only the light, but also the dark. There is one more thing that we might actually need to understand about darkness, which is important to our lives.
Darkness is a part of who we are as human beings. One of my favourite movies, “Contact” starring Jodie Foster has a profound line that has always stayed with me. In finally meeting an extraterrestrial, Jodie Foster, Ellie Arroway, is told that as humanity “You’re capable of such beautiful dreams, and such horrible nightmares. You feel so lost, so cut off, so alone, only you’re not. See, in all our searching, the only thing we’ve found that makes the emptiness bearable, is each other.” This speaks to the duality of human nature and our need for connection with each other, and I would say, with God. It is when we come to accept the idea that there exists within each one of us light and dark that we can fully accept all that we are, not only who we hope to be, but who we truly are in this moment. This quote from the Facebook page Jekyll Doesn’t Hide, speaks to the dual nature of who we are and how sometimes we come to understand that it is the struggle that makes us who we are, “I can talk to you about broken families, addiction, depression, loss, survival, grief, heartache, death, abuse, neglect, abandonment, suicide, and betrayal. I can also talk to you about empathy, kindness, compassion, love, energy, forgiveness, self-love, self-care, strength, peace, healing, recovery, unity, gratitude, grace, hope, and the power of positivity. All of these experiences have taken part in creating the person I am today. I am combination of both the light and the darkness. I many be flawed but even with rough edges I’m still worth loving. I am not ashamed of my story. I am a survivor.” We are people who have beautiful dreams and some of the most horrible nightmares. We are people who struggle and who celebrate. We are people who live in the light and yes, we live in the dark. We are complex, wonderfully and fearfully made people. Yet, through it all we know that God is with us. A good friend spoke of the darkness as a place where we might just come to a new understanding, where we see a different perspective, and where change becomes imperative. Yet we are not there alone. In our times of light, joy and celebration, in our times of darkness, struggle, and grief, God is always with us.
Our lives are made up of light and dark. We don’t have to banish the dark, in order for there to be light in our lives because sometimes out of those dark times light comes. The light of God’s presence, the light of others journeying with us, the light of love received at the most unexpected moments, the light found in a community who accept us for all that we are. In the midst of darkness there can be light if we let ourselves exist in all that we are, in all who we are, as we journey this thing that we call life. Yes there will be darkness, yes there will be light, but through it all, God is there, love is there, and we are not alone in either space. We are always worthy, and loved, that can carry us through every aspect of life.
Prayer
God of Light and Dark, help me to know your presence at each moment of my life. In the midst of darkness, help me to see that is might just be a place where I feel you the most. In the midst of light, help me to feel your presence when it is easy to forget. you are with me. Give me the courage to be all that I am, the light, the dark, everything, Give me the wisdom to understand that the darkness, and times of struggle are a part of being human so that I look for you in all places, always. We ask this in the name of the one who came through darkness to life, you son, Jesus. Amen.
Peace and blessings, Rev. Patrick Woodbeck
Minister Grey Street United/ The Big Red Church (Gordon-King Memorial United)