Embracing Darkness?
In his book Prayer Richard Foster writes:
Darkness is a definite experience of prayer. It is to be expected, even embraced.
This goes along with some of the thoughts I wrote about the other day on the blessing of the silence of God. I’ve been here in my prayer life before, though I’ve never really thought of it as darkness. But, thinking now, I guess that’s what it is; a time when we cannot quite seem to connect with God and we are therefore communicating with Him apart of the light that is Him. Kind of philosophical huh?
I’m not claiming to understand it, but I have lived it. I hate those times in life when I pray and pray and pray and then something significant doesn’t happen. I’m tempted to think it’s a lack of faith, or maybe just a lack of the proper etiquette. But then, I know that isn’t true. God hears my prayer, He just chooses to delay in answering. A delay that is ultimately good for me and a part of His plan.
As for embracing the darkness of these times of prayer, it’s frustrating and hard. Those times when God just won’t man up and do what I ask (tell) Him to do are difficult, but mostly because I’m selfish.
I think embracing times of darkness will produce in God’s people and endurance of faith that would otherwise be totally impossible. If prayer was as easy as calling a hot line, making a small payment, and knowing that everything we asked for will be delivered in exactly the way we want it, then we can pray without ever flexing our faith.
But it is during the times of darkness, when the whole world seems to be moving away from the Jesus whom we love and serve. And we faithfully stand by Him, embracing the darkness, those are the times that we test and approve our faith. Those are the times that we feel how alive our faith really is
Any thoughts?
May 12th, 2008 at 12:05 pm
Thomas Merton talks a lot about this subject in his various books on contemplative prayer, e.g., “New Seeds of Contemplation”. It seems to be a place where not only do people find themselves from time to time, but SHOULD find themselves, precisely for the reasons you lay out.