Yesterday afternoon I watched a couple of movies on the Hallmark Channel, and all evening, all night, and even this morning I can’t shake the darkness that hovers as a result of those characters’ hopeless condition. Even though they are fictitious, they represent people in real life. Why do men and women choose darkness rather than light? The Bible says it is because their deeds are evil.
That seems to me to be a vicious cycle. They choose darkness rather than light because their deeds are evil, and yet, their deeds are evil (dark) because they do not know the Light! And they don’t know how to find the Light, and many don’t even believe Light is available to them because the darkness hides it from them! I ache for them! John 3:19 says this: “This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but men loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil.”
It is almost as though there are two levels (or planes) of life. One is filled with light and joy and happiness and contentment and…well, you know. On the other plane is darkness and evil and unhappiness and misery. And from each plane, we can see the other. In fact, in this life we must choose on which plane we will live. Both planes are available to us all. But, what we can’t do is exist with one foot in one plane and the other foot in the other plane. The chasm between the two is much too wide. It is impossible to dwell in both. We can see both visually, but we must each choose on which plane we want to live.
Now, what is even more confusing and disturbing to me, is that there is an end to both planes. The plane that is filled with light and joy ends in permanent Light and joy. The plane that is filled with darkness and evil ends in permanent and desperate darkness and misery. And, the separation between the two planes grows very, very gradually farther and farther apart—in fact, so gradually that often the ones living in the darkness cannot see that they are getting farther and farther from the plane of light.
Some have convinced themselves that they will stay in the plane of darkness because that is where they know their own dark hearts are camouflaged and cannot be recognized as dark, and thus, they are ‘comfortable’ there, but they think they will jump onto the plane of light at the very end of the walk to make it into the permanent light—and, in all honesty, there are a few that find a way to do just that, but it is a very risky endeavor and they only make it because someone has reached out to them from that plane of light in such a way as to snag them before they slid off the end of their own dark plane into permanent darkness.
But…what I’ll never, never understand is WHY would you want to stay in darkness when you have the option of Light? Why would you choose to be miserable when joy and happiness and contentment are free for the taking? Is it the old deception that ‘I’ll make that choice later’? Do they not see that by not making a choice, they have made their choice? Why later? Why not now? Why not enjoy the Light and the peaceful life and security now? Why would you want to miss all this?
I don’t know the answer to those questions and probably will never understand. But I do know that I’ll continue to reach out to those on the dark plane to help lift them up into the light. I will do my best to ‘glow’ over the edge to show them the way into the light. But, still and all, the choice is theirs. I cannot choose for them. I cannot snatch them and keep them in the light against their will.
Do you know on which plane you are walking? Let me suggest to you that if you look behind and see your shadow, you are walking toward the light. (Your shadow being the sin you have left behind.) But if all looks fine behind you…well, look up quickly my friend, and grab the Hand that is reaching toward you and make that leap into Light. That is one choice you will NEVER regret!
Read Full Post »
