LIGHT IN THE DARKNESS

Light and dark are favourite metaphors for the Christian faith because they vividly illustrate the contrast between good and evil, faith and unbelief. Sight is fundamental to our understanding of the world, which is why we often talk about understanding in visual terms ‘I see‘, can mean I comprehend.
I watched a programme this week about the brain and how it functions. It is amazing to consider the complexity and inter-relatedness of our brains. After neurological damage the brain is able to adapt so that different parts take up the function of the damaged area. They also showed how the brain can be trained to decode messages from unfamiliar stimulation.
Training our senses to become more aware is part of the ongoing process of learning. This is no less true about our spiritual journey. Fasting is one such method some people use to tune into the experience of life. This discipline can help in raising spiritual awareness.
The forty days in the wilderness were Christ’s training ground in preparation for his ministry. During this time we are reminded about his experience of temptation and his struggle with the power of evil. When we struggle to make sense of what is happening to us and those around us we need the same courage to face head on the temptations and distractions that present themselves.
Confronting the powers of darkness is never easy and we need to take seriously Jesus’ use of scripture to address the situations we face, both personally and as a community. The danger of dividing life up into good and bad is that we can slip into a defensive attitude which looks to protect rather than be vulnerable. Many of life’s experience can’t be analysed into a simple black and white division. Part of the miracle of God’s grace is that we learn most when we are hardest pressed. If that is true for you at the moment, as it is for me, I hope you will take comfort and strength from this reflection. Ask God for the ability to decode the stimuli to which you are exposed and find Christ’s strength as he helps you interpret these through the power of the Holy Spirit.  steveontheweb.blogspot.co.uk

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