Light, darkness, Halloween, transformation & questions
Posted 03 Nov 2014
Light is more powerful than darkness.
Follow this link to see this Bible Cartoon on the BC Gallery page, with download & purchase options:
Bible Cartoon: John 03 – Light v’s darkness
If you want to be transformed from one thing into another, then don’t look into darkness, because darkness has no power to transform. Light has the power to transform, but darkness does not.
Christians get “wobbly” around Halloween. We instinctively don’t like the focus on darkness, maybe we recognise that such a fascination with dark things is unhelpful & unhealthy for anyone. Maybe that’s a God-given & very healthy concern not to dwell on darkness.
Why be interested in the dark & all things that relate to it: zombies, ghouls, deamons, the dead? If you are one o those people interested in such things, have you ever asked yourself how does an interest in the dark actually HELP you? Be objective: can the dark REALLY be that interesting? If it is, ask yourself WHY?
On the natures of light & darkness.
Darkness can only cover; blanket; try to smother. The dark intelligence [Satan) tries to convince us that darkness is powerful, but it actually LACKS power. You want objective, unbiased, undeniable proof of that statement? Here it is: as soon as you take even the feeblest candle light into a deeply dark place, what happens? The light shines; the darkness recedes. Darkness has no “choice” about that! You don’t have to get a spade & shovel the darkness away! It literally FLEES, AT THE SPEED OF LIGHT!
Darkness is automatically, irrecoverably REPLACED by light. Even the smallest light can not be extinguished by a “wave” of darkness; darkness has no physical manifestation. You can’t have a “wave” of darkness; you can’t have a “blanket” of darkness that extinguishes light.
In fact, darkness is only the ABSENCE of light. As soon as any light at all occurs, darkness is REPLACED by it. THAT’S true (light) power, right there!
The dark hides things, but any light at all MAKES things hidden in the dark, visible. Therefore it is light that has all the power, whilst darkness does not have any power. Darkness only has “power” when light is not present. Darkness can never, in any way, EXTINGUISH light; it simply does not have that power.
Bearing this in mind, again I ask, why be interested in darkness & the things associated with it? Darkness has no power, so why not concentrate your efforts, intelligence & interest on light, which has infinite power?
Light & darkness in relation to us human beings: growth & stunted growth.
If you keep a plant seed (a living thing) in total darkness, it won’t grow. As a general rule, light is required for most plants to grow, or, indeed, to make most living things healthy. Darkness does not have the power to cause any living thing to grow & become healthy. Darkness tends to cause ill health, to kill & to destroy. Darkness does not have creative power. Darkness does not have restorative, or health-giving power.
If we want to grow; to be transformed into a “better” person, then there’s no point in “looking into the darkness”, because darkness lacks any power to transform us. Darkness can not create. It can not improve us; it can not transform us. Only light has those properties. Therefore, if you want to be transformed (made better), you have to look towards the light.
I think this nature of light & darkness is behind Christian’s concern over Halloween, even an instinctive concern over that evening. Halloween tends to be a celebration of darkness & the things of darkness, which are not healthy for us – not just for Christians, but for ALL humanity.
Perhaps we Christians need to remember what we have found. We do not have to be afraid of darkness. There is a great light that is INFINITELY more powerful than darkness. And we have seen it, & we know it. *1
The greatest light of all: Jesus the Christ.
Christians have seen the great light; his name is Jesus. His light is the light of the whole world *1.
Jesus caused all things to be created. The light of Jesus was foretold centuries before his birth *2.
Nothing can stop the return of Jesus & his great light. *3.
No amount of darkness can overwhelm His light & extinguish it. Darkness simply does not have that power.
In conclusion, I ask you the question again: why be interested in something (darkness) which actually has no power?
Why not concentrate your intellect, efforts & interests on the light, which has infinite power & which causes us to grow, mature, & have life?
The power of Jesus is freely available to all Christians. Jesus wants us to wield his power for the good of those around us. That sounds like a much better idea than dwelling on darkness to me, what do you think?!
Bible References.
*1
John 8:12 (ESV – English Standard Version )
Again Jesus spoke to them, saying, “I AM THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”
Emphasis (capital letters) added by MY.
*2
Matthew 4:13-17 (AMP – Amplified Bible )
13 And leaving Nazareth, He [Jesus] went and dwelt in Capernaum by the sea, in the country of Zebulun and Naphtali— 14 That what was spoken by the prophet Isaiah might be brought to pass:
15 The land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, in the way to the sea, beyond the Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles [of the peoples who are not of Israel]— 16 The people who sat (dwelt enveloped) in darkness have SEEN A GREAT LIGHT, and for those who sat in the land and shadow of death, LIGHT HAS DAWNED.
17 From that time Jesus began to preach, crying out, “Repent (change your mind for the better, heartily amend your ways, with abhorrence of your past sins), for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.”
Emphasis (capital letters) added by MY.
Verses 15-16 are a quote from the Old Testament prophet Isaiah 9:1-2, written hundreds of years before Jesus was even born, but relating his arrival & purpose on Earth!
*3
John 1:1-5 (AMP – Amplified Bible )
1 In the beginning [before all time] was the Word (Christ), and the Word was with God, and the Word was God Himself. 2 He was present originally with God. 3 ALL THINGS WERE MADE AND CAME INTO EXISTENCE THROUGH HIM; and without Him was not even one thing made that has come into being. 4 IN HIM WAS LIFE, AND THE LIFE WAS THE LIGHT OF MEN. 5 AND THE LIGHT SHINES ON IN THE DARKNESS, FOR THE DARKNESS HAS NEVER OVERPOWERED IT [PUT IT OUT OR ABSORBED IT OR APPROPRIATED IT, AND IS UN-RECEPTIVE TO IT].
Emphasis (capital letters) added by MY.
The amplified Bible is particularly good here, explaining that the light can not be overcome by darkness. The darkness CAN NOT put the light out or absorbed it or appropriated it. Nor (EVEN!) can the darkness be un-receptive to it!
Comments
Comments are turned off for this article
Go to Blog Archive page
