12-12-24

ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGS
December 12, 2024
On this day in 1866, a tragic explosion in an English coal mine claimed the lives of 361 individuals. While I had dreams of becoming the next Indiana Jones, embarking on thrilling adventures into deep and spooky caves, coal mines have always created within me a profound sense of dread and apprehension. I visited an old abandoned mine when I was a child, and we went down the elevator (much improved from the elevator that originally took the workers down). We had flashlights, yet the darkness was all-consuming both visually and emotionally. If something were to have occurred while we were down in the mine, there was only one way out. I felt that reality deep within my soul.

The scriptures are filled with images and stories that contrast darkness and light. The words are often evocative, tapping into our anxiousness stemming from the thought of being confined in a dark, enclosed space devoid of any apparent exit. In Matthew 4:16, we find the narrator quoting the Prophet Isaiah as a way of telling us who Jesus is. It says, “the people who lived in the dark have seen a great light, and a light has come upon those who lived in the region and in the shadow of death.” When you find yourself trapped in a seemingly endless darkness, devoid of any apparent exit, it becomes incredibly challenging to maintain hope and the unwavering belief that “light has come.” The use of the past tense here implies that this light has already arrived. The light is with us, even when circumstance suggests otherwise. I have been known to say, “I know you’re with me, God, even though I do not have a clue why I cannot see you.” It’s as if the darkness has the ability to convince us that no light can find us, even though, as John’s Gospel reminds us, “Light shines in the darkness and the darkness could not overcome it.” So, we persist in believing it despite what our senses and emotions might suggest. It may sound absurd, but I’ve encountered numerous individuals who have emerged from the darkness and given witness to a light that was there in spite of their inability to see it at the time.

O Eternal Light of this World, there will be moments when I will need you to encourage my faith, enabling me to believe the contrary of my self-convinced beliefs. Amen.