This Little Light of Mine…Does anyone remember singing this song as a child? If you recall, this song has many verses and as kids, we even had hand movements to accompany the song. Light and darkness are two words I often think about and how they compare to the good and evil in our world.
Many people are afraid of the dark. After a few youtube videos I’ve seen recently, many have a valid reason why they are afraid of the dark, but I can’t claim to have those reasons. I don’t particularly enjoy the dark, but it doesn’t bother me as much as it used to. Honestly, when we were first married (15 years ago), I would walk around with a knife in hand when I was home alone if it was dark outside. My husband would joke with me and say he would always make sure to be extra loud when he came home in the dark for fear I would think he was someone else and attack him. LOL… Thankfully, I’ve been delivered for the most part from that fear at home, but in light of what’s been going on around the world, I believe many are afraid of the darkness that could be lurking around every corner. Darkness makes us uncomfortable and brings fear of the unknown. Darkness also brings out hate, cruelty, chaos, anger, confusion, sadness, anxiety, etc…
Due to recent world events, I’ve found myself consumed with the news and social media. Can we all agree the chaos and evil unfolding before our very eyes is unsettling and scary?
It’s never been easier for us to learn about and express our opinions on an issue. Just a few clicks on a screen and we can learn about any side to a story and let the whole world know how we feel about it. Isn’t that AMAZING to think about?
It’s also never been easier for Americans (or Russians or Germans or Asians, etc…) to make a generalization about a group as a whole based on comments from a few. Everyone is entitled to their opinion and expressing them is fine, but it’s the lashing out with complete lack of respect for people who believe differently is what I have a problem with. Our comments are out there for everyone to see and we all know how easy it is to form an opinion about someone or a group of someones without knowing much , if anything, about them. Opinions, especially when expressed online, always seem to cause heated and often cruel arguments. I keep having to remind myself to stay away from the comment sections because it always fills my heart with dark qualities and all of this “heart clutter” causes me to lose sight of what I’m being called to do in this life.
My heart is heavy about so many things right now, as I expect many of yours are, too. I doubt I’m the only one who has been forced this week to take a deeper look at what I personally believe. Yesterday, I made the decision to turn everything OFF and open my bible. There are hundreds of references in the bible about good and evil, light and darkness, love and compassion, so I wanted to share some that are encouraging and comforting me lately…
LIGHT…
John 1:5 “The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.”
Psalm 119:105 “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.”
2 Corinthians 4:6 “For God, who said,”Let light shine out of darkness,” made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of God’s glory displayed in the face of Christ.”
DARK…
Ephesians 6:12 “For we are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places.”
Ephesians 5:11 “Take no part in the unfruitful works of darkness, but instead expose them.”
I LOVE what Martin Luther King, Jr. said, “Darkness cannot drive out darkness, only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate, only love can do that.”
SPEAKING OF LOVE…
John 3:16-17 “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but that through him the world might be saved.”
Romans 12:9 “Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good.”
Mark 12:31 “The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no commandment greater than these.”
Luke 6:35 “But love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them without expecting to get anything back. Then your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High, because he is kind to the ungrateful and wicked.”
Luke 6:31 “Do to others as you would have them do to you.”
My Own Personal Belief? I don’t have all the answers. I can only do what I believe is right. But, in this life, there will always be good and evil, light and darkness. Our country and our world are greatly affected by our choices to live in light/goodness or darkness/evil. I don’t know what the best answer is to our current world issues, but I know if each of us will choose daily (as hard as it is sometimes) to let our lights shine through love and compassion, then darkness won’t win.
Ecclesiastes 3:1-8 “There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens: a time to be born and a time to die, a time to plant and a time to uproot, a time to kill and a time to heal, a time to tear down and a time to build, a time to weep and a time to laugh, a time to mourn and a time to dance, a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them, a time to embrace and a time to refrain from embracing, a time to search and a time to give up, a time to keep and a time to throw away, a time to tear and a time to mend, a time to be silent and a time to speak, a time to love and a time to hate, a time for war and a time for peace.”
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