Living Through Darkness

Last night’s news told us that today there will be a total solar eclipse, visible in North America. Here, in the UK, a partial eclipse may be seen in some parts of the country.

This inevitably led to an elementary science lesson describing the correct alignment of sun, moon and earth… the moon moving between earth and sun, blocking some or all of the sun’s rays… I’ve taught that lesson.

Darkness will come; natural phenomena will end it.

Churchill’s ‘Finest Hour’ speech of June 1940 predicted the Battle of Britain:

‘The whole fury and might of the enemy must very soon be turned on us. Hitler knows that he will have to break us in this Island or lose the war. If we can stand up to him, all Europe may be free and the life of the world may move forward into broad, sunlit uplands. But if we fail, then the whole world, including the United States, including all that we have known and cared for, will sink into the abyss of a new Dark Age…’

Despite temporary darkness we avoided the ‘Dark Age’. Churchill said that we could reach the ‘Sunlit Uplands’ by our determined efforts. We did.

Yesterday in church Esther talked about Mary Magdalene visiting Jesus’ tomb: ‘Early on the first day of the week, while it was still dark, Mary Magdalene went to the tomb…’

Esther emphasised that Mary came in darkness – both physical darkness, and her personal darkness of grief, fear, confusion and despair. Mary saw the rolled-away stone, empty tomb and angels, but her personal darkness remained… until she met the risen Jesus, who called her by name, ‘Mary.’

Musing… on friends who are in dark places brought by grief, fear, confusion and despair.  For some, like the solar eclipse, it will pass naturally. Some will need Churchill’s determined efforts.

For others, their faith will point them to a personal meeting with a living Jesus who meets them in their darkness and calls them by name.