Night
Today I have the pleasure of sharing a piece from my friend Joshua Barella, Worship Director at our church, New Life Bible Fellowship. I know you’ll be blessed. ~John Beeson
What attracts us so much to the dark?
In the story of Swan Lake, a ballet by Russian composer Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky, Prince Siegfried falls in love with Odette (who has been cursed by the evil magician, Von Rothbart), after happening upon her at the lake one night during a hunting trip. As a result of Von Rothbart's curse, Odette is human only at nightfall, for at daybreak she transforms into a swan. True and faithful love is the only thing that can break the curse, and Siegfried aims to marry Odette, proclaiming such love, at a ball his mother is throwing for his birthday. During the ball, Siegfried is seduced by the evil Von Rothbart's daughter, Odile, whom Rothbart has transfigured to resemble Odette. Siegfried unknowingly swears his love for Odile instead, thus damning Odette to live as a swan forever. Siegfried, upon discovering this plot, takes his own life by jumping into the lake.
What attracts us so much to the dark?
Sin.
Implanted inside of us is a hook that both unknowingly and knowingly catches on all things unsavory. We are lured and seduced by that which innately stains our hearts. We cannot help it. As a mouse is drawn by the scent of cheese to the trap, so are we drawn to our doom in all fleshly desires.
And yet, "...even the darkness is not dark to you; the night is bright as the day, for darkness is as light with you," David reminds us in Psalm 139:12.
Christ is our Daysman, the lamp unto our feet (Ps. 119:105); let not our lusts take us captive, but remain righteous, clinging to uprightness so that you will be delivered in your time of distress (Prov. 11:6).
This is difficult, though isn't it? I say these things with ease, but do I practice what I preach? Not as actively as I should. Not for lack of trying, however. We talk in Christianity about trusting by faith. We don't say strive to trust. That defeats the purpose of faith, of trust. You must release your perceived control over circumstance to receive even a portion of the peace that comes with trusting all that you are, all that you know, to Christ. But there is a place for action too. We must actively cling to our faith, our identity in the Lord of all, lest we be overcome, beguiled—betrayed—even by the notion of sin.
To cling: hold on tightly to. Other definitions: to cleave to or to remain loyal to. One thing is for certain, this side of eternity, you will always be tempted by the matters of the flesh. Like Sauron's one ring from The Lord of the Rings, our hearts are always journeying to get back to their master: the flesh. For the heart above all else is deceitful (Jer. 17:9).
We have nightlights in our boys' rooms, and Piers, our youngest, loves to remove them from the outlets. We'll go in and say goodnight before we turn in and Piers' room will be pitch black. The other night I found him awake in there, in the darkness, and I asked him about it and he told me that he likes the dark. Now, we don't readily display the fruits of evil in our home (i.e.: horror movies or literature, talking flippantly about such things as murder or death...), so I know that he isn't seeking the darkness in a nefarious way, and yet I felt obliged to plug them back in to the wall for him, flooding his room with a soft glow. To Piers it's as David said unto the Lord, "...even the darkness is not dark to you." He hasn't tested the dark. He hasn't played with fire. Yet. Though, I pray he doesn't fall into to the schemes of the principalities of this fallen world, I know he will face his own Odiles believing them to be Odettes. May he know Jesus during those times and may he cling to Him.
Don't be seduced by the fleeting desires of this hour. Be vigilant and keep those lamps trimmed (Matt. 25:7).
I pray for you. I long for you to have peace in Christ. To have hope and joy too.
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Photo by Casey Horner on Unsplash