DARKNESS

I find intriguing the relationship between light and dark where darkness is the absence of light. Upon the introduction of light, darkness vanishes. Another way to look at it is darkness exists on its own. Darkness is. I can conclude then that darkness is a natural state of being. Why? Because, darkness does not require anything else in order to exist (only to reappear). One could even say that darkness lurks waiting for light to extinguish so that it can again prevail.


In contrast, for light to exist, energy or “effort” is required. The sun gives light and energy to our planet, but its existence is driven by the nuclear reactions taking place within it. If that nuclear fuel runs out and those reactions no longer take place, the sun dies (“It will swell to become a red giant. Eventually, it will shed its outer layers, and the remaining core will collapse to become a white dwarf. Slowly, this will fade, to enter its final phase as a dim, cool theoretical object sometimes known as a black dwarf.)(1) Our sun requires energy to exist.  When the effort stops, and the energy burns out, and the light grows tired and dim, darkness inundates no effort required.

Even as I look at my life and the patterns of this world it is evident that the natural state of this world is darkness. As modern day Christians say, we live in a “fallen” world. Bad things happen to good people and good things happen to bad people. And it all makes sense when I consider the nature of darkness and its relationship to light. Darkness is the natural state.

In church we like to use the phrase, “We are all born into sin”(2). Translation, we are all born into darkness(3). It seems as though the way of life in this human existence parallels that of darkness. Let me explain. It takes years to build anything (a life, a marriage, a business, a bank account). And yet, it takes only a moment… an instant…one incident… one occurrence… one bad decision to lose it all. If a single moment does not change your circumstances, there is always the gradual deterioration that is steadily at work. If you stop brushing your teeth or taking showers, for example, your body begins to stink – you are decaying. An individual may diet and exercise for months to achieve their desired weight and maintain it for years. If he ceases doing what has made him successful, he will recede to his natural state. For a long time I attributed this “phenomenon” to the law of gravity -by law everything is being pulled downward. (I don’t know, it sounded good to me). But, what I now see is that all things are being pulled back to their normal state – whatever normal is, that is whatever comes naturally or easiest. (You know, like how water by nature will always seek its own level). Some may call it resistance others Murphy’s Law but whatever it is, it is insistent.

We are born in darkness – ignorant and not knowing anything (The age of economic, artistic, and educational, philosophical standstill was called the Dark Ages). As you age, hopefully you learn either by exposure, education or experience. You become enlightened. (The era when all of these things and reason were advocated was called the Age of Enlightenment). When your mind as been opened and exposed to new thoughts and ideas, energy is applied and light is turned on.

Now what do we do with all of this? To dislike your normal state (“the darkness”) and to attempt to alter it is to interfere with nature and go against gravity itself. You, your life, nature, everything is constantly moving back to normal whatever normal is. It therefore requires energy and in many cases science to counter. It takes work, maintenance, discipline and consistency or everything goes back to normal. Darkness.

Then the question becomes: Can I change my normal? I have heard of so many different resources and methods for developing new habits. I have heard about the 30-day rule that states if you do something consistently for 30 days you create a new habit. But upon reading the article “Forming New Habits” by James Clear in the Huffington Post (4), I do not think that result is likely. Granted things may become easier over time. For example, you may find your cravings for sugar lessen about 3 or 4 days after you chose to cut it from your diet. Or, you might find that you desire fruit and vegetables more than meat after an extended period of time eating only fruit and vegetables. I cannot, however, say that if you stop doing what made you successful in the first place (as I mentioned earlier) that you will not move back to your old self and its habits – if you start eating sugar again you may have to go through the entire process or work even harder not to crave it anymore. It is the reason they advise recovering addicts to stay away from places where the substance they once craved exists. (Perhaps this can be supported by Jesus' illustration in Matthew 12:43-45). If, however, you stop doing what initially made you successful and continue in your success, you may have changed your "normal".

On the subject of changing your normal, I find one observation very interesting: the impact of drugs and alcohol. These are two things that are proven to have the ability to alter a person’s normal and sadly not for the better. Individuals who become addicted to harmful substances are essentially living a new normal that must somehow be fought against to go back to a life they once knew. Is it not fascinating how easily one can become addicted to drugs even after one time of experimental use and then spend a lifetime trying to break free from this now normal? And yet the drugs have the power to destroy ones life rather than enhance it. Darkness.

There is One who challenges our true nature - One who beckons us to step out of the darkness.  “You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden.” (Matthew 5:14)  But, even then it requires our best effort. Jesus said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” (John 8:12) You have to walk with Jesus and keep walking with Him to be light. We still do not change our normal, but we walk with Him and use His light to fuel our own. We are as bulbs or candles or lanterns. They themselves are not light, but they are channels through which light is radiated. Our light shining is dependent on our staying connected to the Light. And yes that is a challenge.

Jesus is the only one whose true nature is light. There is no darkness in him. God is light. And Jesus is God, so Jesus is light. I believe Jesus Christ challenges our nature and gives us the opportunity to be light one day, “Believe in the light while you have the light, so that you may become children of light.”(John 12:36) When we are no longer in this world, have put on our new self (our new glorified body)(2 Corinthians 5:1-5; Philippians 3:20-21), have received our inheritance with Christ (as we are co-heirs with Christ)(Romans 8:17), and are one with Him (Romans 6:5) then will our true nature be light. Until then, we are instruments of light that require energy and to be connected to the Source in order to sustain. We have to fight for it or else…darkness.


References
1. http://www.space.com/58-the-sun-formation-facts-and-characteristics.html
2. Therefore, just as sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, and in this way death came to all people, because all sinned (Romans 5:12)
3. Me
4. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/james-clear/forming-new-habits_b_5104807.html