Walking in the dark or living in the light?

Have you ever been afraid of the dark? This week I have been thinking about some of the times in my life when I have been in the dark. As a member of the scouts I went caving in the Bungonia caves near Goulburn. We were required to take two light sources with us into the caves, such as a torch and a caving lamp. Once we were deep underground our leader had all of us turn off our lights. When we held up our hands we couldn’t see our own fingers to count them. This reminded us of the dangers of caving in the dark. It would be so easy to get lost.

When I began training to be a pastor I moved in to accommodation at the college where I was training. It was a big, old building with lecture halls and meeting rooms downstairs and student rooms upstairs. I was single but most of the students were married and lived down the road in a block of flats. Often on a Monday night I would be the only person in this dark and creaky building. My room opened on to a long, dark corridor with bathroom facilities at each end. It took me a while to adjust to the darkness and silence. It is easy to imagine all kinds of things when you here a noise in the middle of the night in a building like that!

What is it about the dark that can cause us to be afraid? Sometimes, it is our fear of the unknown. We imagine people, “monsters” or other things waiting to get us. It may be our loss of control or fear of being lost. We can’t find our way in or out. We may also feel alone and unsupported.

Jesus describes living life without his help and guidance as being like, “walking in the dark”. He calls himself, “the light of the world!” John records his words in the Bible,

“Once again Jesus spoke to the people. This time he said, ‘I am the light for the world! Follow me, and you won’t be walking in the dark. You will have the light that gives life.’” (John 8:12)

He says the way to make sense of life and find our direction is to follow him. When he makes this claim he is speaking to a group of people who think they are very religious. They see themselves as better than other people and think they have the right to judge them. He points out that they don’t see others as clearly as they believe. He says,

“You judge in the same way that everyone else does, but I don’t judge anyone. If I did judge, I would judge fairly, because I would not be doing it alone. The Father who sent me is here with me.” (John 8:15-16)

Are you walking in the dark or living in the light? Following Jesus will give you “the light that leads to life”.