THE DARK ROOM
I John 2:11
“But whosoever hates his brother is in darkness and walks around in the darkness; he does not know where he is going, because the darkness has blinded him.” (NIV)
I have several night lights strategically placed in the house so that I am able to motivate about easily during the night without fear of bumping into a wall or stubbing a toe. I learned the hard way to invest a dollar or two at Wal-Mart and purchase night lights after I broke a toe on a chair leg. I also receieved a nasty bruise on my forehead from running into the kitchen cabinet and even fell ove a big black dog resting peacefully on the living room floor. Startling a 150 pound Rottweiler at 2 in the morning causes everyone in the household to sit up and take notice wondering who is attempting to break in and the confusion in a dark room adds to the drama of the fall. Living in the country there are no street lights to illuminate a pitch black room and on this particular occasion there was no moon shining to assist me as I groped aimlessly for a light switch five feet away. I was bewildered, the dog was frustrated and now I had a frightened husband on my hands, who by this time was in the middle of the room trying to find me without considering turning the light on.
Thinking of this ridiculous scenario, it brings to one's mind the utter perplexity caused by walking in darkness and as the Apostle writes, if we hate our brother our spirits are not merely dimmed, but we are in total blackness. Our lives are in constant confusion and there is no direction since we cannot see due to being blinded by nebulous thoughts concerning a brother or sister. We watch some churches develop an apathetic and cold-hearted attitude where love for the brethren is becoming a thing of the past. Not only are individuals walking about blindly, but these churches are as well. Jesus said in John 8:12, “I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.” (KJV) It takes Christ dwelling in our hearts to light our pathways and give us love for our brother that keeps us from groping about in a blackened spiritual room.
©Frances Gamble 2005
