Dark Walks
“The people walking in darkness have seen a great light;
on those living in the land of deep darkness a light has dawned.” (Isaiah 9:2)
December 21st is referred to as the “shortest day of the year.” Actually, it’s the same length of time as any other day. The irony of its logo is that it is the longest day of darkness. Darkness comes early, only a few hours after it had stayed too long.
It is not uncommon for my wife and me to take dark walks during these days, saturated with darkness. There is a degree of treacherous stepping as we proceed up our street and around the neighborhood. Being familiar with where cracks in the sidewalk and potholes in the street exist helps us avoid most stumbles…most stumbles! Darkness hides new developments and dangers until it’s too late.
When Isaiah spoke his prophecy, it was a dark time for Judah. Assyria was dominating. The people were suffering. Oppression characterized the time. The words of the prophet must have sounded strange. “Seeing a great light?” “A light has dawned in deep darkness?” Eugene Peterson’s The Message paraphrase renders the last part of the verse, “For those who lived in a land of deep shadows—
light! sunbursts of light!“
When darkness dominates, is it a fairy tale to talk of sunbursts of light? Or, does any speck or glimmer of light get interpreted as hope?
When life is defined by the oppressiveness of darkness, seeing light at the end of the tunnel brings a welcome sigh of relief. Many folk describe their lives as being a walk in “the longest darkness.” What an incredible moment for them to have a sunburst of hope! A light that shows the path and the destination.
I read the news this morning. It was a walk into the dark world we live in. Violence, fraud, racism, poverty. I was looking for a light, just a ray, just a twinkle. Isaiah gives me that glimmer of hope. It came to me in the form of a 96-year-old woman from our church. Her daughter convinced her that it was finally time to give up the shoveling of her nieghbors’ driveway and sidewalks. She had done it for years. Two heart attacks hadn’t even stopped her. Sometimes darkness just needs someone to is willing to make a path for others.
Yesterday, during our Sunday worship service, the youth of our church showered her with joy when we gave her a plate of Christmas cookies we had baked and decorated. For a caring, elderly lady, it was a moment of vibrant kindness that brought a radiance to her face.
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