Runnin in the Dark

  One of the things I love to do is to go running, and my favorite time to run is before 6:00 AM.  There is  something special and powerful about running either as or before the sun comes up.  Not only is the temperature great at that time of morning, but when running in the dark it feels as if one is moving quicker than usual.  The only problem is that I enjoy running on trails in the woods and on the local Greenways.  To do so means I have to use a headlamp.
    There are, however, times when I have the headlamp with me, but I once I get on the trail the stars and moon are so bright that I simply turn it off and allow their natural illumination to guide me.  Though dimmer than daytime, one can see the contours of the trail while also observing wonderfully unique shadows from trees and objects that seem to bring to life the many and various perspectives of this world.
    Over the last couple of days, however, the moon has been in a phase where at best it has been a sliver of light, and this morning it was just a black ball with a minuscule sliver of light up the edge.  According to the moon phase charts, this morning’s moon was a “Waxing Crescent” which only revealed 1% of the moon.
    Yesterday morning I headed out on my run and forgot to bring my headlamp, which was fine at the beginning of my run, because street lamps illuminated my way to the trail upon which I was to run, but as soon as I stepped onto the trail, everything went black.  Because I know the trail pretty well, I continued on, but I was basically running in the dark.
    I found that my senses were heightened, and I was particularly aware of my foot striking, just waiting to hit a root or a gully.  My eyes strained to catch any glimpse of the light bouncing off the trail, and I worked hard to discern the darkened edges where bushes or grass absorbed what little light there was.
    There were times when I was unsure of what was ahead, and at those times I found myself slowing down and allowing my feet to fall more softly and with caution.  At the same time my confidence was reduced, and I felt smaller and less significant than usual.  It was as of the dark confined me and hemmed me in, for without the light I didn’t know exactly what was ahead.  And yet, I pushed forward, eventually reaching my goal.

    In the Gospel of John, Jesus is quoted as saying, “I am the light of the world.  Whoever follow me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” (John 8:12) At the same time, in the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5: 14), Jesus says, “YOU are the light of the world...”
    As I thought about the juxtaposition of these two passages and my little jaunt in the woods, I found myself reflecting upon the power of Christ’s light in our lives.  Each of us have been through times when we felt like we were completely in the dark.  Probably each of us have been afraid of the dark at some time in our lives, and each of us have probably pushed ahead through the darkness trusting that in the end we will reach our goal and all will be okay.

    All around us there is darkness.  In the lives of our family and friends, we see grief and pain in their eyes, and we know the darkness affects them.  In the news we hear story after story of the darker aspects of life, and it affects us.  Darkness is a part of life, and yet it is not the only part and certainly not the dominating part.
    Instead, Christ came so we could understand and experience that He has overcome the darkness, that He IS the light of the world, and the light of our lives, and when we look for and trust in that light, then He will guide us where we need to go.  At the same time, He also tells that WE are the light of the world, which means that we don’t just look for and trust in Christ’s light given for us, but we are also invited to hook into that light and allow the light of Christ to work through us in all we say and do.
Where is the darkness shrouding your life?  Are you reaching out in what seems to be darkness with the path un-illumined?  Where did the moon and stars go?
Pray to God, then take a step.  Trust in Him for he IS the light, that illuminates the world and invites us to allow him to shine through us.