Come To The Light

"And this is the verdict, that the light came into the world, but people preferred darkness to light, because their works were evil. For, everyone who does wicked things hates the light and does not come toward the light, so that his works might be exposed. But whoever lives the Truth comes to the light, so that his works may be clearly seen as done in God." -[John 3: 14-21].


When my son was little, he had a Batman utility belt. In addition to the pocket with the Batarang, the belt had a button to push. When you pushed the button, on came the voice of Batman, saying his well-known phrases. A favorite phrase was, "Evil cannot stand the light."

I thought that sounded oddly familiar, even Biblical, so I looked it up in Scripture. It was then that I found John 3.

It has been said that the author of John's Gospel wanted to paint a compelling picture of Jesus. (In theology, this is called "Christology", as in 'Who is Jesus?'). I see in this portraiture a clear choice set forth, between darkness and light, death and life, hate and love.

When I began my first job in a tall skyscraper in a big city, one of my first bosses was an older guy who always seemed to give sage advice. Turns out that he was Irish, and a former seminarian who ultimately decided not to become a priest. My first day on the job, he called me over to talk with him. I asked him what his best advice was?

He said, "If you would be horribly embarrassed by something you did, ending up on the front page of the newspaper, don't DO it."

Today, I believe that his advice also goes back to John 3: "People preferred darkness to light, because their works were evil."

If you read and re-read the Bible, the many of the most evil events occur at nightfall:

In 2 Samuel 11, David sees Bathsheba on an adjoining rooftop, bathing. It is eventide. Then, David lays with her. That is the beginning of the end to his unblemished reign.

When Jesus was nailed to the cross, "darkness came over the whole land." -[Mark 15:33.]

We have seen over time, plenty of instances of evil occurring in the darkness : Jerry Sandusky at Penn State and his abuse of several young men. No one spoke up. They kept it a secret to "save the reputation" of the football program..  Bernie Madoff and his massive fraud worth $50 billion. He perpetrated this scheme for so long because of the web of conspiracy around him. Many investors lost everything they had. Former President Richard Nixon's secret theft of Watergate files, intended to guarantee his reelection. This secret scheme ultimately brought down his Presidency.

Tragically, I have a deep connection to this "darkness"-- no, I am not aware of anything dire that I have done? Although, I readily admit that I am a sinner, far from perfect!

No, the secrecy in my life was built in order to mask the abuse going on inside my childhood home. My family used to say, "What happens in these four walls, stays hidden." Out in the larger world, my family was the very model of a "fine family". We were pillars of the community. Admired corporate types. Teachers. Church-goers. Well-educated. Well-spoken. Well-dressed.

But in our home, the windows were covered with blinds, sheer curtains and then, also heavy drapes. The blinds were usually not all the way up. You could not see inside the house, during the day or at night. Rarely was the front door open, even in very hot weather.

I was instructed to not tell anyone, anything about our family. I was not allowed even to tell anyone what my grandfather did for a living. I became almost mute. No one seemed determined to do anything about my unusual silence. I was called, "Obedient. Sweet. Quiet."

There is a special kind of trauma in being told how exemplary your family is, when the ugly Truth is quite the opposite. The child within starts to wonder what the Truth really is? Or is anything the Truth at all?

I have learned in the ensuing years, to deeply question secrecy. There is privacy. But then, there is secrecy. Darkness. Conspiracy.

Instead, I have found my compass in Jesus. Jesus IS the light. Jesus IS Life. Jesus IS Love. If I am following these, I have nothing to fear from the light, because "my works can be seen clearly as done in God."

Jesus IS the Truth. And so, beware anything done in cover of darkness, If you cannot speak the Truth, perhaps there is something sinister going on? Something that needs to be brought out into the Light. Because, if it is Evil, it cannot withstand the scrutiny of the Light!

[Related Postings: "A Light In The Darkness", Feb. 10, 2014; "The Sensation of Evil", Dec. 16, 2012; "The Light of the World", Feb. 8, 2011].

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