Darkness vs. Light [but a little less cliche]

“Don’t let your eyes get used to darkness. Put your hope in what is true.” – JJ Heller, Back Home

Darkness vs Light is a comparison used often in literature and all throughout Scripture to signify good and evil, or some variation of it. As I thought about that idea, I realized how deep that metaphor can run. When we are in a dark room or just a dark place in general, it’s typically a little unnerving. Most of us would not say we are necessarily afraid of the dark, but we’d have to admit that being in complete darkness is a little less than desirable, and we would much rather be in the light. However, our eyes do this funny thing when, after being in the dark a while, they begin to adjust. We begin to get comfortable with the darkness around us and it’s not so scary. If we stay in the dark for long enough, it’s almost as if we could see. Granted, we still can’t see nearly as well as we could if we were in a completely lit room, but we can see enough to get around.

Wheels turning yet?

If the wheels aren’t turning in that beautiful noggin of yours, let me help you out a bit. In our lives, when we are living in sin or in a “dark place”, at the onset, it’s a little scary, unnerving. However, when we stay in those dark places, we begin to grow comfortable. Our perspectives begin to shift and we begin to think to ourselves, “Well, this isn’t so bad anymore.” We fool ourselves into thinking that we can manage this on our own, without the Light that we used to know.

Sometimes these dark places come unwillingly. Someone rapes, molests, or abuses you. A loved one is killed. A spouse, boyfriend, or girlfriend cheats on you, you lose your job, and the list goes on. The darkness is real. The darkness is thick. The darkness is scary. However, after being in this darkness for long enough, it becomes comfortable. It becomes familiar. Our eyes adjust in the darkness.  

I like to think of this idea as being comparable to waking up in a dark room. Our eyes open, but the lights are still off, the curtains still drawn. There is a light switch that we can choose to turn on, but we know that it will cause discomfort to our eyes that have adjusted to the darkness. It will be uncomfortable, some might even say painful or harsh. But ultimately, we know that the light is necessary to see clearly.

I would encourage anybody living in a dark place to, first find the light switch. The source of light. Once that Light has been found, turn it on and let it lead you. You may need to squint, or even close your eyes for a time, and if that’s the case, find someone you trust who can lead you until you can open your eyes and walk on your own.