We can’t avoid the dark night of the soul, or dark and challenging times of our life.
Yet, at the first sign of the shadow of darkness moving toward us, we tend to run.
Many hide from difficult times by becoming addicted to substances, food, work, or relationships.
Trappist Monk Thomas Merton says when a person begins facing the dark night, “he will run away from the darkness, and do the best he can to dope himself with the first light that comes along.”
Although I have a fairly bright disposition most of the time, I’ve had harrowing dark nights in my life. I still go through milder versions of these dark times intermittently — although they last only days or weeks at the most, where as years back, depression and darkness seemed to be yearly companions.
When I moved to San Francisco from Long Island to attend college, I expected sunny California skies. Days upon summer days, I’d wait for the muted sun to pierce it’s sharp rays through the San Francisco’s dense fog. Just the same, during dark periods of my life, depression hung over me like the thick, relentless fog hanging over the Golden Gate bridge. I yearned to taste the merciful exuberance of joy, but could never sense it’s divine breath pushing through the thick, dense barrier of depression’s walls.
Then I started wondering if darkness was like a cloak of comfort, like a grieving widow wearing black?
A counselor once said, “why don’t you celebrate your sadness”, for she said it held in it grief that needed attention, real feelings submerged in dank cellars that needed some light.
I surrendered to my dark times, eating it’s thickness, drinking it’s tasteless dew, swallowing it all up.
I read depressing books, watched sad movies, and learned it’s morose language.
Until I learned what it meant to turn toward the light.
I didn’t know God back then.
When we turn to God, we turn to the light, where God’s luminous love freely shines a grand spotlight on our darkness.
Then the dawn comes, and light pours in.
This is Holy Darkness – the inner dwelling of God in our darkness — where darkness becomes a path toward the light of God.
A baby is born from the dark womb, bursting forth into life.
We hear of those who died and returned, of their journey toward a great light, and about those dying gracefully and peacefully.
A light that always existed in our darkness, we just never turned on the switch.
“Divine Darkness is the unapproachable light in which God dwells. Into this Darkness, rendered invisible by its own excessive brilliance and unapproachable by the intensity of its transcendent flood of light, come to be all those who are worthy to know and to see God”- Dionysus the Aeropagite
Author John Granger wrote a fascinating article in Christianity Today about the Harry Potter phenomenon in ‘Harry is Here to Stay‘. Granger says that Rowlings writes ‘a spiritual allegory of the soul’s transformation to perfection in Christ‘ where the characters have resurrection experiences. He compares these resurrection experiences to alchemy, “where the darkness of lead becomes illumined and enlightened to become gold”, and “The alchemist’s heart is restored to Edenic perfection.”
St. John of the Cross said “the purpose of the dark night is to purgeus”.
Merton further tells us, that the darkness comes when we allow God to strip away the false selves and makes us into the person’s we were meant to be.
In the end, we are children of God. We are all children of the light and children of the day. In the end, we do not belong to the night or to the darkness.
We love your comments!
“In the end, we are children of God. We are all children of the light and children of the day. In the end, we do not belong to the night or to the darkness.” This is TRUTH and what I hold onto when I’m in a period of grief. Next door to you at #TellHisStory and glad to find you here!
Thank you so much Lisa for visiting and we always do need to remind one another of these profound truths!
Love the reminder of who we are and all that God does for us, even when we can’t see it!
Thank you much for visiting Becky! We all need each other to remind one another!
The Light is always present in the darkness. That thought brings so much comfort! #RaRaLinkup
Thanks so much for visiting Kelly! We tend to forget don’t we! That’s why sharing with one another is so encouraging, we can’t do this life alone!
I love this = “When we turn to God, we turn to the light, where God’s luminous love freely shines a grand spotlight on our darkness. Then the dawn comes, and light pours in.” Amen! I have been learning the truth of this in my own life. I am sharing my journey of healing from childhood abuse at incrementalhealing.wordpress.com – I would love it if you’d stop by and share your thoughts.
Blessings and hugs,
Kamea
Kamea, what a beautiful name! I love you visiting, and thank you for your feedback! How wonderful you are learning the truth of God’s light and love in your life.. Do consider signing up for the blog! I will certainly take a look at your blog. If you visit my film website http://www.bigvoicepictures.com, you can view clips of my first documentary, The Healing Years, which I think will inspire you in your healing!
Just reminded me of why I wrote my current Memoir, “Looking at the Unseen: My Guide Dog Journey,” from Xulon Press. God will lead and guide us in unphanthominable ways, if we trust His Word, and obey His precepts and principles. Check out my FB, Li, and TW pages for more info. ,,,
Thanks much for visiting Olivia, I will check out your book!
Good Morning Kathy,
Your post on LinkedIn caught my eye and wanted to respond. It is true this world if filled with broken and hurt people who seek addictions of all sorts to temporarily numb their pain.
Similar to you I was an extremely angry and depressed adolescent and young adult who for a time embraced my darkness and allowed myself to feel it absolutely and completely. But with age (hallelujah!) and much soul searching and the recognition of Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior my disposition has become light hearted with much laughter (which really is the best medicine).
The gift of joy that fills my heart today is because of my acceptance of Jesus Christ as my savior. I often reference I Peter 1:3 Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope…” It is the phrase “living hope” that encourages me.
When I experience dark times and it seems that I have lost the hope and joy that usually live in my heart, I remember to acknowledge in my mind if not state out loud to God – I know you have not left me. I have not been abandoned. There is work for us to do on this earth and part of that work includes trials (dark nights of the soul) that are to test and strengthen our faith in God.
I like the statement in your post that reads, ” This is Holy Darkness – the inner dwelling of God in our darkness — where darkness becomes a path toward the light of God.”
I agree that it is a Holy Darkness because God has not left us and as you say the inner dwelling of God in our darkness.
One final scripture I want to share is John 8:12 –
12 Later, Jesus talked to the people again. He said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never live in darkness. They will have the light that gives life.”
Pasted from
I enjoyed your post and look forward to reading the others. In particular, Divine Busyness.
God Bless! I hope your day is filled with love, laughter and joy.
Tracie
Hi Tracie, It’s such a pleasure to have you here leaving such an inspiring post about your experience of overcoming depression through the loving presence of Christ which brings forth the mind and heart of Christ in our lives! I know so many who have been transformed by the mystery of Christ that visits many of us in those unexpected ways, sometimes for many of us the light of God comes in our darkness. Also thank you for your feedback and the reminder of John 8:12, which is really a profound scripture! I hope you’ll sign up for the blog and take a look at some previous blogs if they speak to you! Many Blessings, Tracie!