Dark

Moving from the country has pointed out many differences in living in the city. One that I had not anticipated is it is not so dark at nighttime in the city. When we switched off the lights on the farm it was DARK. Here in suburbia, we don’t really need any night lights to move about the house at night. There is a streetlight just 100 feet from our home, and it illuminates the inside of our home enough to move about without turning the lights on—especially since we don’t have window coverings yet on most of the windows. There is also the ambient light from porch lights and security lights on neighbors’ homes. Generally, people don’t like darkness.

When I was seven years old my family took a vacation to west Texas to visit my uncle, aunt, and cousins. They had moved from Mississippi a couple years earlier, so our family went on our longest road trip ever. It was a tough trip for our old Plymouth as we had to stop from time to time to let the engine cool down and replenish the radiator water. It was exciting for me to be in the wild west for the very first time. I have always loved Westerns—movies about cowboys and Indians. That very summer I recall collecting six RC Cola bottle caps, so I could get free admission into our local movie theater on Saturday afternoon and watch a double feature of Westerns. Now I was going to go out west where all those movies took place. I was a bit disappointed because I did not see many “real” cowboys, and the Indians that I saw were at roadside souvenir stands.

I was more enthralled with the Gila monsters and jackrabbits that were featured at tourist traps along the highway.  It was a good thing there was an occasional oasis along that highway as there was not much else very exciting to see in west Texas.

While visiting with the cousins, we all went on a road trip to Carlsbad Caverns. I was fascinated with the stalactites and stalagmites—although I had no idea what they were called at that time! Our tour guide led us deeper and deeper into the cavern, and then, suddenly, the lights went out. It was pitch black, and I was frightened.

I didn’t want to be a baby and grab for my mother’s hand because my cousin who was a year older than me would have laughed at me, so I toughed it out. But I was sooooo afraid. If someone had said, “Boo!” I would have screamed. After what seemed to be ten minutes, but was only a minute, our guide reassured us, “Don’t worry. I know where the light switch is.” That did not make me feel better. While the lights were out, they played a recording of Rock of Ages and many of the tourists joined in singing.

All of us have been in similar situations where it was so dark we could not see our hand in front of our face. Some of us will admit that we were actually afraid.

Darkness is something to fear for many, but it is a friend to those who seek evil. More crimes are committed during the nighttime than in the daytime. Darkness harbors much evil in our world today.

While we talk of the despicable things that are done in darkness, we followers of Jesus are guilty of committing sins in the darkness of the moment—when we get mad over something someone says or implies, or when we return spite for spite, or when we have that thought that is not pure and holy before God.

A friend and I were playing golf in Florida years ago, and two strangers were assigned to play with us to make a foursome. The two guys hardly made a stroke without uttering some type of cuss word. After a few holes they found out that my friend and I were on the staff of a church. Soon after learning this, one of them started cussing after a bad hook. He quickly told us that he was sorry that he had cussed in front of “holy men.” I said, “That’s OK because you can say anything in front of me that you can say in front of God.” He did not like that comment—granted it was a bit smart aleck, but he got the message.

We don’t do anything in the darkness that God doesn’t know and care about. “Nothing is covered up that will not be revealed or hidden that will not be known. Therefore, whatever you have said in the dark shall be heard in the light, and what you have whispered in private rooms shall be proclaimed on the housetops.” ESV, Luke 12: 2-3