Darkness

Darkness

“For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light, for light produces every kind of goodness and righteousness and truth” ~Ephesians 5: 8-9

 I never realized how dark it really can be in the world until all the power around me was out and the moon was covered by clouds. During hurricane Sandy the power went out and when I was outside I could not believe how dark it really was. Without any light source it takes some time to focus on what is around you. It is hard to find your way.  You are not sure of your surroundings.  

    This made me think of how dark our lives and souls are without God, Jesus and the Holy Spirit in us. As christians we have that light placed in our souls when we are baptized in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Then again that light is increased when we receive holy communion and then again when we make confirmation. It is after this we make that choice to foster that light in us or not. 

     When we decide not to foster that light and ignore it, it gets dimmer and dimmer but does not ever fully go out of us. It almost becomes that first star we see at night. We kind of see it and when we turn away and look back it takes a bit to find it again. But when we do find it, we can again decide to start to focus on that light and have it grow brighter and brighter.

      The problem with the dim light is that we can get used to it and our eyes gets accustomed to it. We start to become one with the darkness and are able to function in it. We forget what it is to see things as they are. What they truly are? The good, the bad the indifferent. Things get blurred in the darkness. It is like that saying if you put a frog in boiling water it will jump out but if you slowly warm it up, the frog does not realize it and stays in the pot of water and dies. It is the same, I feel, for us. We can get so used to it that our Faith can end up slowly dying in the darkness. 

      Our faith can start to die when we are in that darkness but because of the sacraments we go through and mostly from that initial sacrament of baptism we have that small light. It is almost being on “God Support ”. God support is like life support for our souls. He does not give up hope for our souls. He keeps our souls alive so we can Live. He continues giving us the breath of life in our souls so that we may find that light again and be in the light. 

       We are all called to be and live as children of light. To be beacons for those who are  lost and in need. As we use that light in us to shine God’s goodness in the world we grow in faith and light. As the light grows so does our faith. It goes hand and hand. When we also are around those who walk in the light it makes it easier for us to see in the world. The light grows brighter and brighter with each soul as we gather. It is like when you light candles in your home, each gives more and more light. 

        Our souls are marked when we are baptized and we become children of the light as it says in Ephesians. The light may dim at times but never goes out. We must foster the light and keep it burning as we travel in this life, so we may stand before God. 

Until tomorrow, God Bless, and keep the light on so you can find your way home.