Thursday, April 2
…God is light and in him there is no darkness at all. If we say that we have fellowship with him while we are walking in darkness, we lie and do not do what is true… 1 John 5-6
This is an interesting passage to consider during Lent, when many churches offer a Tenebrae service on Maundy Thursday to mark the darkest night of our faith walk, the night of Jesus’ betrayal and abandonment. Indeed, the word Tenebrae comes from the Latin meaning “shadows” or “darkness.” John tells us that we lie if we say we have fellowship with God while walking in darkness; yet many worshippers find themselves drawn closer to God with each candle extinguished as another disciple abandons Jesus, until all twelve are out, leaving him alone, in utter darkness. In this bleak wilderness, a bell tolls once for each lash on Jesus’ body. Finally, we leave the sanctuary in the silence that is death’s true song. And as we are drawn deeper into this darkness, and deeper into ourselves, we are also drawn more deeply into our faith, our communion with God.
But when John speaks of darkness, it’s as a metaphor for sin. He goes on to say, “if we walk in the light as he himself is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin… If we confess our sins, he who is faithful and just will forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”
It’s curious that John equates darkness with sin; for while all of us are sinners, and all of us experience darkness, not all darkness is the result of sin. Thomas A. Dorsey wrote the powerful lyrics to the hymn, Precious Lord, Take My Hand following the death of his wife and newborn child, events which led him into the darkest hour of his existence, though through no sin of his own. This profound darkness could have easily challenged his faith and led him away from God; yet he turns to God and prays, “Through the storm, through the night, lead me on to the light.” In fact, his walk through the shadows is what brought him closer to God. In that sense, Mr. Dorsey’s experience has a lot in common with Tenebrae. –Willie Sordillo
Precious Lord, take my hand, and when I feel the darkness surrounding me, help me to remember what a privilege it is to carry everything to you in prayer.