The Magic of Darkness
By ES
Yesterday was the winter solstice - the shortest day of the year. Another way to look at it is that yesterday was the darkest day of the year, the "seasonal dark night of the soul." The day where there is more darkness than light.
Maybe you feel like you are in a season of darkness. A season where the light is barely perceptible, barely cresting the horizon. Or perhaps it feels like the light has completely gone out.
Maybe you feel like a citizen of Longyearbyen, the world’s northernmost permanent settlement. Halfway between mainland Norway and the North Pole, the 2,400 residents here are used to extremes. When the sun sets in early October of each year, the town will remain in complete darkness until early March.
You might wonder why the heck would someone want to live in darkness for half of the year? Why would people choose to live in such a remote, cold, and dangerous place?
Despite the darkness and contrary to what many people assume, the citizens of Longyearbyen claim that the dark winter days foster community and connection. There are special festivals, including a Dark Season Blues Festival, and even a torchlit Christmas parade.
This Is the magic of darkness: It is in our darkest times that we need people the most. We need community to feel connected and survive the dark winter nights. We can easily remain isolated, but isolation often leads to death.
Longyearbyen is also the home of the Global Seed Vault. Situated in a former coal mine, the seed vault holds copies of all the world's seeds to ensure against loss in the event of a global crisis.
The place of darkness is also the place that holds life.
Lack of light doesn’t mean a lack of the Lord’s presence; there’s actually a good chance He’s waiting for us in the shadows. What if I told you that God, who is light, also dwells in deep darkness and has an air of mystery and unpredictability about Him that should excite us and encourage us to want to know Him in a deeper way?
Yes, scripture says that God is light and that the darkness cannot overcome Him. But that doesn't mean He can't exist in the darkness. In fact, it is during those darkest nights that He often draws you closer than ever. God meets you in the dark and deep places—where light seems non-existent—revealing parts of His character that you may not otherwise come to know.
Remember Genesis 1:1-2? "In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. The earth was formless and empty, and darkness covered the deep waters. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the surface of the waters." (NLT)
Light wasn’t creation’s canvas—darkness was.
God called Moses to draw near to the thick darkness where He was (Exodus 20:21) and it was in that "dark cloud" that God revealed His glory to him.
How many of us have wondered, “Why? Why won’t God take this from me?” We want rescue. But maybe what God wants is to meet us in this place. Maybe He wants to reveal Himself to us in it—not take us out of it. Because, in doing so, He is inviting you to deeper surrender to Him, especially the deepest, darkest crevasses of your heart.
And how do you surrender those places you have stuffed down so deeply? By bringing them into the light through processing them with wise counsel and safe communities because nothing can stay in darkness permanently - even Longyearbyen experiences the "midnight sun" for half of the year.
Ultimately, He desires to share with you the hoards of secret places, showing off His power and pursuit of you, drawing you in and enjoying your company as you sit together.
Who knew the dark could be such a gift?
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