Punching Holes in the Darkness

By Brad Henderson

The story is told that Robert Louis Stevenson, as a small boy, looked out the window one evening as the dark of night descended and found himself fascinated by the old-fashioned lamplighter coming down the street lighting the gas street lamps. "Look," he cried out in excitement to his nanny, "there's a man coming down the street punching holes in the darkness."

Itʼs easy to despair these days and to surrender to the cynicism within: the political process has all but ceased to function in its role of governing; the financial markets are extraordinarily volatile with each new day bringing the proverbial roller coaster experience for participants; communities continue to recover and rebuild from spring storms; young men and women continue to die in wars across the sea; Somali children die by the hundreds and the thousands because they simply do not have enough to eat. It is a difficult time indeed. So much so, that it has become much easier to point fingers and assign blame than it has to actually do something about the turmoil. But then, just as I begin to feel the despair setting in, I remember the following words from the Ancient Celts: “Better to light a candle Than to curse the darkness. ”

Those are words that thump me between the eyes, because, quite honestly, itʼs far easier for me to curse the darkness in whatever form it takes. But guess what happens when we curse the darkness? Absolutely nothing. It keeps on being dark. But what happens when we light a candle? We feel the same exhilaration as Robert Louis Stevenson as it punches holes in the darkness and we begin to see a path forward.

As youʼve heard me say before, I believe Godʼs second favorite word is “Yet, ” because the scriptures are clear that just because things are the way they are doesnʼt mean they will always be that way. Ours is a God of Hope and no matter how dark the days may be, the candle is being lit for us.