Light in The Darkness

The season of darkness is slowly coming into spring and summer light. I like the snow of winter for skiing and ice for skating, but I do not like the darkness of winter. Scripture is replete with the image of God as light and the world as darkness. The hearts of men are described the same way, either light or dark.  However, “God is light and in Him there is no darkness at all” (1 John 1:5). God describes the hearts of men as stone-like and dark or sinful throughout the Old Testament. Even at Christmas time, at least as we celebrate it, the days are short and dark. Isaiah the Prophet speaking of Christ’s birth states, ‘”The people walking in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of the shadow of death a light has dawned” (Isaiah 9:2). This is telling the dark tale of woe for the Israelites under assault by the Assyrians. And yet the Messiah or “Light of the world,” was going to be born to bring “spiritual peace.”  Isaiah even said, “Woe to those who call evil good and good evil, who put darkness for light and light for darkness” (Isaiah 5:20).  These are graphic and depressing thoughts of the world 700 years before Christ. But it seems to me, they are also describing our world today in drab technicolor grey.

This pinhole image entitled “Prairie,” taken by my cousin Douglas F. Frank vividly displays a scene of light piercing through the darkness in the American heartland. Bestselling Author Frank Peretti wrote novels called, This Present Darkness and Piercing the Darkness, about the strong reality of evil in the world, symbolized by the darkness. We live in a world battling good and evil, light and dark. Many would say that the darkness is winning. I believe that this is sadly a growing truth. In fact there are ideologies of death that want to conquer and dominate the world for evil.

Our hearts are all in a battle for good and evil as well. The Apostle Paul said, “For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places” (Ephesians 6:12). Satan is ruler of the earth and wants to destroy us one by one. We have a choice in the matter. We can look to the “Light of the World,” Jesus Christ who overcame the world. We must stand firm in the truth and pray in the power of the Holy Spirit.  “The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it” (John 1:5).

I want to be a light generator that spreads out wherever I go. I view the photo in this essay as if it is a pair of wings of an angel lifting and throwing light into the world. Psalm 34:7 says, "The angel of the Lord encamps around those who fear Him, and He delivers Him.”  The angel of the Lord is God Himself in this Hymn of praise and delivery from danger and darkness. Become a “light-caster” and overcome the darkness.