The Problem of Darkness – February 21, 2019

For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of God’s glory displayed in the face of Christ.
2 Corinthians 4:6

The Problem of Darkness

In 2007, a man by the name of Adam Bloom agreed to take part in an experiment. Scientists took him to an underground bunker. From there they led him to a small bedroom the size of a prison cell. The room contained microphones and infrared cameras. After Adam walked in, the scientists closed the door and turned off the lights. The lights would not come back on for 48 hours. And so, in a tiny cell of this underground bunker, Adam Bloom would experience total, pitch-black darkness for two full days.

At first, Adam didn’t think it would be so bad. He led a hectic lifestyle, and the idea of spending two days in total darkness did not seem like the worst thing in the world. But that soon changed.

To keep himself occupied he tried talking out loud, but he soon tired of that. Quickly he began to lose track of time. Whenever he awoke from sleep, he could no longer determine how many hours—or minutes—had passed. Then the fear began to set in. Even though he and the scientists had been preparing for months, he began to wonder: Had they all gone away? Was he trapped there forever? Finally he began to hallucinate, his mind creating its own images in the absence of seeing anything else. He even started to lose his own sense of identity.

When humanity chose to cut itself off from God, it plunged itself into a chasm of pitch-black darkness. In our sinful madness we thought we would find freedom. But we found nothing of the kind. Instead, in the absence of God’s light, there began a swirling nightmare of unreality. Fear set in. Disorientation. Dead ends. Confusion. Even our own sense of identity began to fall apart.

But then, into our chasm of darkness, there came the Light of the World. God sent his Son to retrieve us from the nightmare we had created. In our place, Jesus lived the life of light that our darkened lives could no longer live. Then, on our behalf, Jesus went to the cross to experience the outer darkness of hell, all to pay the price for our sins—all to pay the price for our sins in full.

And now he lives. He lives as the Light. And because he lives, our nightmare is over. Fear has given way to joy. Anxiety has given way to gratitude and sweet relief. Bitter confusion has given way to the clear confidence of God’s love for us in his Son.

By the way, Adam Bloom says that, when he left that underground bunker, he realized how vivid and beautiful the world of light truly is. Through faith in Jesus, you and I can say the same thing.

Prayer:
Lord Jesus, when darkness threatens to cloud my thoughts, fill me with your light. Amen.