Pushing Back The Darkness

Where is the darkness in your life? Not the darkness of the world, but the darkness of the things you hold inside.

What do you see when you look into the lamp of your life? Is your lamp burning brightly or is it growing dim? Has your oil turned rancid or run low?

Light or darkness, full or empty lamps, fresh or rancid oil are not about what is happening around us, the circumstances of our life or world, but about what is happening within us. They are metaphors for our spiritual condition, our inner way of being.

In the parable of the ten bridesmaids in Matthew 25:1-13, it would be easy to divide them into two groups -the wise and the foolish, the prepared and unprepared, the good and bad, the winners and losers, the welcomed and rejected. More often than that that’s what we do to ourselves and others.

Dividing and categorizing the 10 bridesmaids, however, is to forget, ignore, or misunderstand what the gospel says. All ten bridesmaids were part of the kingdom. All ten were invited to the wedding banquet. All ten went to meet the bridegroom. All ten had lamps. All ten were meant, intended, and called to be carriers of the light. The only difference is that some carried light and others did not. And that is very true for everyone.

We were all meant to be carriers of the light. Matthew 5:14-16 says, “You are the light of the world.” “Let your light shine before others, so that they will see your good works and give glory to your Father in heaven.” To withhold our light is to add darkness to the world.

Every day we either add to the light of the world or we add to its darkness. I know this because I’ve seen it in my own life.

When I turn away from the needs of others because I get in too much of a hurry, or act like I don’t need anyone, my world becomes darker.

When we carry grudges, or resentments, or even nurse old offenses we bring darkness to the world.

It’s easy to see the darkness in the world today. But, what do you see when you look at your own life?

We are all a mixture of both. Some days I add light to the world and other days I add darkness.

I don’t think the question is whether there is darkness today in our lives and the world. The question is: what are we going to do about it?

Every time we live with darkness in the world or our lives we are betraying of Creator and our values. If we had to justify our behavior, every time I say “it’s someone else’s fault, or refuse to look at myself.”

We were called to be a light for others.

No wonder Jesus said to the bridesmaids “I do not know you.” He’s speaking to the darkened part in our lives. It’s not so much a rejection as it is a call to discover the light within us, a call to key our light shine.

The world needs our light. There is no person or place in our world today that doesn’t need light. Your light makes a difference, my light makes a difference.

We can push back the darkness, and shine our light. God said in 2 Corinthians 4:6, “Let light shine out of darkness.”