Walking in the Dark

There is something about the dark that frightens some people. As J.R.Tolkien in his classic The Hobbit observes, “It cannot be seen, cannot be felt / Cannot be heard, cannot be smelt / It lies behind stars and under hills / And empty holes it fills / It comes first and follows after / Ends life, kills laughter.” It is no wonder some of us do not like being in the dark. It is the place of the great unknown, where every sound is amplified and where it feels like someone or something is watching and waiting to get us.

There are times in our Christian walk when it seems we are walking in and through the dark. Those difficult periods in our lives when the silence is loud and answers are elusive. We can relate to Job who lamented, "He hath fenced up my way that I cannot pass, and He hath set darkness in my paths. ... When I looked for good, then evil came unto me: and when I waited for light, there came darkness" (Job 19:8; 30:26, KJV). Even as we cry out to God, we echo the words of the Psalmist, "Thou hast laid me in the lowest pit, in darkness, in the deeps" (Psalm 88:6). The longer we are in the dark, the greater our discomfort. Times when it seems the LORD dwells in thick darkness (1 Kings 8:12), the more we question God. After extended periods in the dark, some stop trusting Him.

Corrie Ten Boom reportedly once said, "When a train goes through a tunnel and it gets dark, you don't throw away the ticket and jump off. You sit still and trust the engineer." That is so because though inside the tunnel is shrouded in darkness, the engineer can see ahead because of the light at the front of the train, unseen by the passengers, that pierces through said darkness. The Christian walking timidly and fearful in the dark can take the same comfort. David said of our Engineer, the One we serve, "...the darkness and the light are both alike to thee" (Psalm 139:12). In other words, He sees in and through the dark. When we cannot see anything, He can. When we don’t know where to go, He does. Because of that, we do not have to be afraid; we simply need to trust Him.

That is the good news. He (the Lord) constantly watches over us, lovingly and protectively, working out His purpose in our lives (Romans 8:28-29). For He who orders your every step knows exactly where you are. Even in the dark.

Power in Unity

For some people, the biblical narrative surrounding the building of the tower of Babel speaks to the dangers and consequences of pride. However, there is a positive lesson that we can take from it that can serve us well; something that God Himself took a note of. According to the Genesis account, at a time when "the whole earth was of one language, and of one speech," a group of people journeyed from the east and found a plain in the land of Shinar, and they dwelt there, resolving to build a city with a tower "with its top in the heavens ...lest we be scattered abroad upon the face of the Earth" (Genesis 11:1-4, KJV).

As they embarked on their project, "The Lord came down to see the city and the tower which the children of men built. And the Lord said, 'Behold, the people are one and they have all one language, and this they begin to do; and now nothing will be withheld from them which they have imagined to do'" (vv. 5-6). In these verses, we find a united people, having one language, with one determination, and the divine observation that with these attributes, "nothing will be withheld from them which they have imagined to do." In them, we see the power and possibilities in unity.

Having a collective common cause or goal is not unusual. Families and organizations have them as well. However, achieving the end goal is another matter. Jealousy, internal fighting, disagreements, greed, to name a few, often stall and cripple efforts to goal realization. Author J.K. Rowling succinctly observes, “We are only as strong as we are united, as weak as we are divided” and there is a lot of truth in that statement. Regardless of whatever it is that we endeavour to do collectively, a divided people is a liability to such efforts. A house [business, family, church] divided against itself cannot stand. "All for one, one for all" is the springboard for optimal success.

The power in unity was affirmed by the Lord regarding the builders of the tower. As we go about our day-to-day lives, let us strive for unity in the areas that matter most. Yes, there will be times of disagreements; however, if we keep our eyes on the end goal, what we are striving to achieve together, our individual preferences should yield to the greater good. One heart, one mind, one purpose. Taken together, that is a mighty unstoppable force. Just ask God.