Darkness must be named ‘evil’ if we are to overcome it

Taxable oil spill income could be another mess
February 1, 2011
Thursday, Feb. 3
February 3, 2011
Taxable oil spill income could be another mess
February 1, 2011
Thursday, Feb. 3
February 3, 2011

Sometimes, when I am teaching a class, I give my adult students an oral quiz about where Jesus spent his life on earth.

The first question I ask, “Where was Jesus born?” Everyone knows the answer from the Christmas stories and carols – “Bethlehem.” Next, “Where did Jesus grow up?” Most everyone associates Jesus with Nazareth. The inscription on the cross read, “Jesus of Nazareth, King of the Jews.”


Then we get a little harder. “In what city did Jesus die?” Some people know that Jesus was in Jerusalem for the Passover feast and it was during this time he was crucified, died, buried and rose again. Then comes the most difficult question, “Where did Jesus live after he left Nazareth?” Usually silence prevails. The answer is “Capernaum.”


Capernaum is located at the top of the Sea of Galilee. Both Gentiles and Jews inhabited this area. It is from there that Jesus assembled his first followers, and began his mission of proclaiming the Good News of the kingdom of God. Both Jews and non-Jews experienced his healing touch.

When St. Matthew mentions this move by Jesus, he quotes the prophet Isaiah, “The people who sat in darkness have seen a great light, and for those who sat in the region and shadow of death light has dawned.” (Matt. 4:16) Jesus’ message of hope and salvation was a guiding light to those in the land of shadows.


We, too, live in the shadows of darkness – shootings like those in Arizona, many people enslaved by drugs and alcohol, the economic situation in our country and the world, the scams that take advantage of innocent people, the broken promises and the unfulfilled dreams, the sense of hopelessness for so many people.


What has happened to Christ’s light? Why after 2000 years has darkness not disappeared?

The Rev. Richard Rohr makes this point about light and darkness, “We wish darkness would go away, especially in some great social issues. We wish world hunger would be eliminated. We wish we’d stop producing weapons that are killing so many people.

“But one has to surrender at a certain point and admit that the darkness is here. How do we deal with that? We’ve got to find the freedom within our spirits and within our communities at least to recognize that darkness and learn how to live in relationship to it.

“In other words, don’t name darkness light! Don’t name darkness good. I think many people have been seduced into doing that. The way out is simply to stop calling it OK. When we refuse to name darkness, we will be trapped by it. That’s dangerous and false innocence. When we can name the darkness, we can learn how to live so that the darkness does not overcome us.”

Jesus did not eliminate all darkness. Neither did he allow darkness to overcome him. We should do the same.

Jesus began his ministry by proclaiming, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near.” The kingdom of God is not something outside us. Rather, it is here within.

Alice Walker in her novel Color Purple makes this point. “Celie, tell the truth, have you ever found God in church? I never did. I just found a bunch of folks hoping for Him to show. Any God I ever felt in church I brought in with me. And I think all the other folks did, too. They come to church to share God, not find God.”

When God is inside us, the kingdom of God is there. When we come together, we bask in the light of Christ. Then we go out and let that light shine before all so we can be a source of hope for those live in darkness.