Darkness . . .

Tonight as I walked from the back of my house to the front to head to bed I was reminded of a conversation I had with a new friend the other day. In the conversation we discussed Christianity 101 and now “simple” it is. You “just have to let go of control,” “surrender.” I also heard the words that day and for the days that have followed, that people can become so used to living in darkness that it becomes difficult to walk in light. She said these things with the most sincere smile and caring heart. I can see it in her eyes even now days later.

But tonight I found myself, in my stubborn and lazy nature, surrounded by a physical darkness that represented this so well. I have a fairly large home and as I was headed to bed, I turned the light off in the room I was in and began to grope through the darkness to get to my bedroom. Instead of making sure a light was on ahead, I trusted my own comfort in the darkness to get me to my room. I know its no lifelong journey but there are definitely coffee tables and doorframes between point A and point B that are ready to collide with my big toe or shin. I even consciously thought to myself that I just needed a second to adjust to the darkness as I had done this a million times before. I am comfortable walking in the dark and adjust quickly to it. And sure enough I made it from point A to point B in the dark without trouble (this time). What was even more enlightening is that when reaching the place where I could easily turn on the light and didn’t bother to do so. I realized that the light would cause more discomfort that just staying in the dark that I was used to. Especially when, at this point, my eyes had adjusted to see well enough in the darkness. Why would I turn on the light?

Of course this is just a physical phenomenon but how that parallels life. If one knows the “dark” and is familiar with it, why would it be a natural jump to the “light”? We stick with what we know and with what is comfortable until it isn’t working anymore and we can function in the darkness quite well as we adjust and would seem to grow stronger in that as time progresses. And one can only imagine what the introduction of light would cause. The simple strain on well adjusted eyes alone. But the reality of what is unknown being well illuminated. You know what to expect on the current road but who knows what the road ahead has for you. Others may say it is better but the darkness has served you well. Why take a risk when the darkness is light enough to you? How does one take a risk when the darkness is light enough? Is it irrational for one to even believe that this is who they are; a person in darkness? Can one become so much a part of the dark that there is no chance of turning on the light? Or maybe they turn on the light and it hurts their eyes too much so they quickly turn it back off.