The other morning I was up early to drive a friend to the airport. I did not want to wake up my husband so I did not turn on any lights in the bedroom. As I was groping for my hairbrush I tried to visualize where things were placed on my dresser. When I reached for where I thought my brush was, I realized I was positioned incorrectly. It was off-putting to have my brain think I was one place and to find out that I wasn’t in the correct perspective and alignment.

It made me think of how most times in life we are (or perhaps I should say- I am) stumbling in the dark. We haven’t a clue on what is around us and we grab at things that we did not intend to touch. We can inadvertently grab something that may be harmful to us or to others. All because we do not want to put on a light and have some sort of illumination.

I think if we are really honest, some days we do not want to illuminate the truth of a situation and we hide within the shadows of ignorance and misunderstanding. We think that we have absolved ourselves of any responsibility because we did not “turn on the light”. We allow ourselves to be victims of a shadowy, unhealthy and potentially dangerous environment.

As I was pondering this analogy of light, it occurred to me: 1) even though our eyes may adjust to darkness, we need a light to quickly and efficiently find what we need. 2) short of that light, we need to be aligned in the right perspective so that when we feel our way round, we know what we are touching. 3) when we finally have proper light, we realize how far off-base we have been in our perspectives and in the reality of what the situation or area looks like. It is only in comparison with the proper light do we finally realize how enclosed in darkness we really are.

We need to be brave. While it can be considered bravery to enter dark spaces and try to navigate in that space, it is even more courageous to be willing to flip on a switch or light a match and shed light into the dark corners of our minds, our problems and our culture. It is willing to come face to face with whatever is lurking in the dark. Most often there are just shadows which are just figments that have no real substance.

When I need to be brave, I need to remind myself, “What is truth? What is Light?” and to hold on to that information. I need to embrace and seek the Light through others and through daily soaking of His Word: the Hebrew and Greek wisdom that illuminates God’s love for us through the stories and promises of and to His people.

What about you? Are you afraid of the dark? Have you ever stumbled in the dark? What kind of light do you like? Ambient? Bright florescent? Are there dark places in your home? Your life? Have you ever cast a light into that space? What did the light reveal? Have you ever tried to “function” without the light on in your home? What could you do and not do? When light finally revealed what you did, how close were you to functioning as if there were light? What helped you maintain (if you did) perspective?

For me to maintain perspective even in dark times, I need the alignment and light from the Light of the World. We are living in dark times: both in our culture and in the season of the year. Light provides warmth, growth, and clarity. Light illuminates the Truth.

There is a Light that shines in the darkness. One that guides us and keeps us from harm. Now, more than ever, we need that Light- as individuals, as a nation and as world beings.