Good Morning Church — Are You Afraid of the Dark?

That was the question I asked my friend Tim Martin last week as we were retrieving some frozen food items we had stored at the church building.

We had pushed old grocery carts from the Church’s Benevolence Center down to the kitchen in our Fellowship Hall. (When we run out of cold storage for our food distribution program at The Benevolence Center we fill up the freezers at the church.)

The Fellowship Hall is in the basement of the church buildng so we rode the elevator to save ourselves a few steps.

On the ride down we were able to fit both grocery carts onto the elevator so we rode together.

But with the carts loaded we had to ride up one at a time.

I asked Tim to wait in the hallway by the door as I took the first cart up a level.

The hallway was dark so as the elevator door began to close I said “Are you afraid of the dark?” and just as the doors snapped shut I heard Tim respond “No but it’s afraid of me.”

I had the elevator ride to let that sink in.

Then when the doors opened he finished his thoughts (as he turned out the light in the room he had apparently glanced into as he waited for me.)

“That’s all it takes for the darkness to return.” He said with a flip of the switch as the hall and the room darkened again. “Just turn off the light.”

For the rest of the day it’s all I could think about.

I’m not afraid of the dark — but is it afraid of me?

Is it?

Or am I just a flicker of light — an interruption to the darkness but never a real threat?

This week I read a story based upon a Gallup survey — that said only 24% of Americans believe the Bible is the Word of God and is to be taken literally.

26% said they viewed the Bible as a “book of fables, legends, history and moral precepts recorded by man.”

And 47% said the Bible was inspired by God but shouldn’t be taken literally.

Yet 89% of us say we believe in GOD based on a Gallup poll taken just last year.

Is this what Christ was talking about in Revelations when he said you are neither hot or cold?

Could the lackluster commitment to GOD be the reason we seem to find ourselves in a bit of darkness around the world?

When my twins were just a year old we experienced an ice storm that knocked out the power in several counties. Because we live out in the country we were one of the last houses to have our power lines reconnected.

During that time period we witnessed many moments of darkness that we were unaccustomed to.

We always had flashlights and lanterns available so we could continue to move about after the sunset but nothing could really penetrate the darkness like the organized power and distribution we have grown accustomed to from the electric company.

I can still remember fumbling around in the evening hours and the relief I felt (especially as a young mother) when the sun would rise and wipe out the darkness.

So much is being written and said about the state of our country / our world.

And I have this image in my mind of all of us running through the house (like we did as kids when we were afraid) flipping on every light in every room to chase away the darkness.

And when I read the stories like I read this week I wonder how things might change if those who say they believe in GOD acted like it.

What will it take for the people of GOD to realize the power each of us has with the simple flip of a switch?

How would the world change if the darkness was really afraid of those who say they believe in GOD?

But too many of us find ourselves stumbling around in the darkness with a mediocre flashlight. — enough light to illuminate the path directly in front of us but nothing to light the way for others or to penetrate the darkness beyond our little circle of influence.

Our light is shinning but the darkness doesn’t fear us — it almost ignores us.

I’m not afraid of the dark — but is it afraid of me?

If you want the world to change — You have to want to change the world.

How many lights in how many rooms can you turn on this week? And please don’t just read this — think about it then do nothing — I am serious — how many lights in how many rooms can you turn on this week?

Find ways to show the world your Light!

Be intentional and be deliberate about being patient, loving, kind and peaceful and be bold, gentle and respectful about telling the world of the GOD we serve and the SALVATION we have through HIS SON!

And let’s turn some lights on in this place!

God Bless!

LaVern Vivio

July 29, 2018