I have been thinking about God being in the darkness. Often the way Christian imagery gets deployed, it is all about Light overcoming darkness. But what if darkness is not a bad thing after all? Certainly there's much that still needs to be done to address the racist construction of white and light as good, black and dark as bad.
There is a book I would like to read about someone's experience of losing their sight and becoming immersed in darkness. I also am aware that recently I learned that the times of disruption in our lives are when we learn and grow most. What if instead of believing that we need light to illuminate our thinking, we discovered that dark periods have much to offer?
I'm finding myself in a metaphorical dark patch at the moment. Interestingly this has parallels with my actual location, in a beautiful theological college set in a gorgeous rural spot. I know this to be true and am grateful for so much about being here. I've not seen any of the scenery though, it has been shrouded in fog and the days have seemed short and even at the sun's peak, not light enough to photograph. The fact that I can't see it doesn't mean it is not there. Maybe when things are bleak, or murky, it means we become more vigilant, we lean more on other aspects of our life such as faith. Do I need to see the hills to trust they are there? What tho about the cliff that I have heard of, that I gather gives this college its name. I will not go looking for that this time! So whilst I hope that my next visit, in the summer, will be brighter, I think there is a message for me that we do not have to adhere to an assumption that light is the answer. Maybe the questions are more significant than the answers in any case.
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