Years ago I heard a pastor use this illustration to press home his point:
My pastor and one of his pastor friends walk into a dimly lit restaurant. The pastor friend starts confessing his questions to my pastor, how he struggles with some fundamentals of the faith, and how he wonders if this is a legitimate part of his growth to spiritual maturity. My pastor quickly jumped in to correct him and says, “Did you notice how dark it was in here when we came in. We could hardly find our way to this table. Now, after 30 minutes or so, our eyes have adjusted and we can see just fine. That’s your problem! Your soul has adjusted to your spiritual darkness. You think you are in the light, when in fact you’ve grown accustomed to the darkness.”
It was a severe warning to all of us to not abandon the fundamentals he had been teaching. It was also a scare tactic: no matter how well we thought we might be doing, in actuality we were probably just accustomed to our own darkness, and he was the only one who could diagnose and fix us.
It took me years to get comfortable asking questions, exploring truth, and letting go of childish ways of thinking. Of course, this is still my journey. But this story still haunts me. There is some truth in it, which gives it its power. But there’s also another way of looking at it. What if we all actually do live in darkness, and that our ability to eventually see in this darkness is not a sinful accommodation, but an act of discernment?
We give up too easily and too soon. The mind cannot tolerate suspense and paradox and mystery, so it will revert back to its default position as soon as possible. How many times have I seen myself and others on the path towards wisdom suddenly regress to our former ways of thinking simply because the darkness was lasting too long and we didn’t give our spiritual eyes time to discern truth in the new environment?
This is important: light does not dispel darkness. It shines within it, but the darkness will not overcome it. Whether we like it or not, this world is very dark. And it is getting darker. Which is why fundamentalism is on the rise: it’s a defensive mechanism against the increasing gloom.
We must give our spiritual eyes time to adjust in order to discern the light of the truth.
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This is deep, man. Right on.
Discernment, patience, adjustment–these take effort and can often be scary or at least uncomfortable. We all too often prefer realities over possibilities and what we think we’ve known over what we might understand.
Love your take on this.
Wow…I like this a lot. I’ve been struggling with so many questions lately and I felt guilty because I was questionning very basic stuff. There is something in me that search for answers and it doesn’t want to settle for what I’ve always believed. It is not easy…Thank you David for encouraging us to think and to search and to dare to question…
This is fabulous. The first thought I had after reading the “illustration”, was, “He’s twisting the truth.”
If our eyes adjust to the darkness, it means we’re no longer blind and can see what’s real. As opposed to being easily spooked by what may or may not be there.
thanks MLE!! Nice to meet you. Sweet blog!
… I’m sorry, have we all gone blisteringly mad?
With all due respect, NP (and i do mean that), this is barmy.
1) “Light does not dispel darkness” – erm, what? When you turn on a light switch, are you seeing in an equivalent manner as you were only a moment before? Does your perception of a face stay in a pitch black room stay the same when you introduce a lit candle? I know this sounds rhetorically interesting, but it doesn’t make any sense. (And yes, I know, I may be accused of pedantry here; I’m certainly not opposed to theological poetics. But when it’s making a point that seems to change the point of the biblical imagery, yeah, then it becomes a problem. More on that in a moment..)
2) You were obviously there listening to the guy using the analogy, so you have the ability to prove me wrong on this sub-point, BUT: nowhere in your telling of the story did it seem that he was saying that only he could fix the problem. This came across as a rather snarky suffix.
3) You ask, “What if we all actually do live in darkness, and that our ability to eventually see in this darkness is not a sinful accommodation, but an act of discernment?”
Again, an interesting piece of theological poetics. But isn’t this profoundly skewed? You’re obviously springboarding from John 1:4-5. Taking Jesus in John as our benchmark:
- “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)
- “Walk while you have the light, before darkness overtakes you. Whoever walks in the dark does not know where they are going” (John 12:35)
- “I have come into the world as a light, so that no one who believes in me should stay in darkness.” (John 12:46)
Doesn’t Jesus – or just John, if we’re going to take a rather ludicrously radical hermeneutic – make it fairly clear that darkness is not only a BAD thing to dwell in, but also is replaced/destroyed by light?
I wouldn’t normally comment on this sort of thing but this seemed like such a barmy-army thing to say. I know you rejoice in the question mark, NP, but really… i’d caution against teaching your via negativa, via a Jesus-ignoria
I can see your point Nathan… to some extent. But can you see mine? Like I said, there is some truth in your version. But not the whole truth. Same with my version.
When it comes to doubt and questioning, NP, I fear that we speak two very different languages. I believe that both are sanctifying and that God is bigger than out intellectual and existential trifles; the via negativa is most beautifully seen in this, redemptive spirit. So yes, let’s hold the question mark and say that it’s ok to debate. To be honest, I would be biting the hand that fed me if I said anything different.
That said, I don’t see all forms of doubt and questioning as the way to understand. “Let the little children come to me” is Jesus’ model of theological pathos; “I am the light of the world” His hermeneutic.
That’s why I object to any appropriation of darkness as holy. It may be a wittgensteinian issue; it may be that I object to a theological appropriation of darkness but do not care so much otherwise (after all, I normally rather enjoy the peace of literal darkness). But on this point we make a stand about what is theologically and pastorally helpful: do we ignore the meaning of Jesus’ warnings against darkness and delight in the question mark, or do we let His love of the light impact our theological method and pastoral instinct?
Again, I fear we take radically different approaches to theological method, despite us sharing a common barthian Watering Hole
but darkness is a part of our theology. and if it isn’t holy, it can make us so.
“Men love the darkness.”
Christ is the Light of the world. But we would much rather much around inside ourselves and other false gods which proves our love of darkness.
Christ is the true Light. Anything else is artificial and ultimately leads to darkness.
But even the apostle Paul wrote that we only see “through a lens darkly“. While we may have the light of Christ within us, it doesn’t necessarily mean we know the whole truth; not everything is illuminated. God chooses what to reveal to us and when.
Also, God created both light and darkness…and called it “good”.
NathanL: barmy means zesty; blarney means foolishness. If you’re in the business of fighting with words, I’d get them straight.
Christ is the Whole Truth.
Yes, we have darkness in us because we are bound in our sin. But the Light comes from outside of ourselves. We will only find it there. Never from within.
Suspense, paradox, and mystery. Dare we add tension to that list? I learned long ago that, in Christianity, if it seems like a paradox, then it is likely truth. Jesus God and man? Doctrine of grace, election (ok so my embedded Reformed theology sneaks out) are we called or chosen? Saved by grace yet faith without works is dead? I have come to think along the lines of Madelyn L’Engle in her book, Bright Evening Star, truth doesn’t necessarily mean facts. As I age, I find it less necessary to understand exactly how or why God does things. I am content to take some things as unfathomable mystery, yet I am also more comfortable in questioning God, too. Another paradox…..
Julia – http://www.thefreedictionary.com/_/dict.aspx?word=barmy. If you’re not absolutely clear on British slang, don’t pick me up on it. I’m not Irish, and I don’t use blarney, thank you very much.
Shelly – pauls point about seeing through a glass darkly is not that living in darkness is good; indeed, it’s that perceivin in darkness is incomplete, imperfect, to one day be replaced by what God has to offer. As for God creating darkness, there’s quite a difference between the material and literal lack of light, and the spiritual dal was that Jesus so clearly opposed.
NP – what would you say is jesus’ theology of darkness?
to be honest with you, I find myself getting irritated with dualism and people who constantly want to split and divide things/ concepts.
we were created in darkness, new life needs darkness to grow and develop pushing up into the life – we can’t have one without the other. we need darkness in our lives, I need sleep, this is all part of creation. God created the darkness, we need it.
NathanL: I think he lived in it.
NP – agreed, Phil 2:6-11. But that’s not really what I asked.
we are people living in darkness. have we seen a great light? i’m not saying it is good or bad. what i am saying is that it takes discernment to find truth in the midst of this darkness. the light shines “in” the darkness. can we see it? that’s what i’m asking.
Love it David it realy is our perception of things is in it. like what the gospel of John states Jesus is the light in the darkness and the darkness can not comprehend it.
Yes, we can see it. If we look at ourselves honestly and admit that we are sinners in need of a Savior.
That is what the entire Bible is about.
And the fact that Christ Jesus is that Savior.
When you see those things, and believe it, then you have seen the light.
Steve – you really are beginning to sound like a broken record…. yes, I’m getting your point – the answer is Jesus and I am a sinner – but so what… how does that really help me?
I’ve lived all that and it doesn’t help me…
I think that jesus is much more intersted in questions, darkness and being with us where we are at…
Glad you are getting it, james.
Working on the others, now
How does that help you? When one realizes that they are a sinner and that they need a savior, and then they know who that Savior is, and trust in Him…then they will be raised from the dead to everlasting life and salvation.
“Oh that. Big deal “
yeah done all of that steve – not the answer i’m afraid.. if it works for you – good!!
I think we all know Steve’s theology by know. We get what you’re saying… As it’s not that complicated, it doesn’t need to be repeated every five comments or so. (Particularly when it seems to be missing the point of the conversation entirely.) To me, it seems like you’re intent to repeating yourself like a broken record until everyone agrees with you – so, forever.
Can I recommend you listen to this: http://www.bsocs.com/page3.htm ? It’s N.T. Wright (very comfortably orthodox, btw). When he talks about having cross but ignoring kingdom, think hard about whether or not you come off that way to at least those on this forum.
In other words, even those of us who completely agree with you could be absolutely disgusted that you stop there. That you seem to be ignoring everything between Jesus’ baptism and the cross, everything about this life now.
And it’s pretty annoying that you don’t feel like anyone else should ever talk about anything else either.
thank you Christine – that is exactly what I was trying to articulate.
Steve – I don’t expect you to change or to see any other’s point of view – but maybe it would be good to listen to others , have empathy with them rather then just perscribing your almost robotic response. At worst i find your responses as spiritual aggrogance and at best I find them unhelpful and naive.
I am a complex human being as are we all and your prescriptions for health are like a quick fix – if i swallow the pill you offer then I will be well. In my life I know that to be false, in the many Christians I know i know that to be false, in the many clients I see in therapy – I know that to be false.
What I read about Jesus that he didn’t give the same ‘pill’ to everybody, there is no ABC of faith. he treated each person as an individual with their needs and met them where they were at and they then were able to see.
A reinterpretation of the pastor’s scare tactic.
When you step from a dark room into the bright sun, you are blinded and can’t see anything. So, admitting that you can’t see some things clearly might mean you stepped into a bright spot.
adam: good point i hadn’t thought of.