Today, I ran under a plane as it was taking off. Yeah, it was pretty intense. What makes it less cool, I suppose, is that I was in a tunnel underground and the runway was above me, but still... I ran under a plane.
As I started running through the tunnel, my eyes quickly adjusted to the darkness but the light from the bright Virginia sun still blazed at the other end. The closer I got, the less I could see because it was so blinding. It was pretty frustrating actually, but I love the warm springtime sun so it's okay.
Isn't that how life is sometimes though? We get so used to running around in the light that we forget how bright it is. We maybe forget that darkness even exists. Every now and then, a dark experience will readjust our eyes just a bit and make us appreciate all over again just how warm and wonderful the light can be.
Here's a few examples to explain what I'm talking about.
Marriage. I'm getting married in August to the most incredible girl I've ever met, and it just can't come fast enough. We're in a long-distance relationship, which is unbearably difficult for a guy who is trying to actively love and learn about his future wife. The good news is that "distance makes the heart grow fonder," and the more we're away, the more sweet are those precious days that we get to see each other. The darkness of distance makes the light of togetherness look so much brighter.
Easter. What would Easter Sunday be without Good Friday? The fact that Jesus rose from the dead to conquer sin and death would be impossible if He didn't first die on a cross to bear God's judgment for my sin. I can't fathom the physical pain of Roman execution. I can't understand what it's like to be forsaken by my closest friends and relatives. I can never know the agony of bearing God Almighty's wrath for the sins of all mankind. But I know that all those things, even in the darkest moment of all of history, allowed the greatest moment of all of history to be possible. Good Friday preceded Easter Sunday. The dark had to happen before the light.
Politics. No matter what your political affiliation is, you probably agree that the politics around the world are a mess and that America is no exception. There are wars and rumors of wars from Seoul to Damascus to Brussels, and we all know someone needs to "make America great again," but all the likely candidates must be hiding because I haven't seen any yet. Hatred based on race, nationality, and sexual orientation peppers the globe, and the more comments I read on YouTube the more I'm convinced our society is doomed (partially joking, mostly serious). I'm thankful that as I look at all the brokenness I can long for the One who will one day return to this earth to rule and reign. He will lead the world in peace, but not a peace of domination and tyranny -- a peace of flourishing and thriving, where everyone does what's right because they know it's best for the Kingdom and its King. I'm excited to be part of the biggest multi-ethnic church service the universe has ever seen, and like most ethnic services, it will go on forever.
Sin. Romans 5:20 explains that "...where sin abounded, grace did much more abound" (KJV). The more I see how evil my own heart is, the more I learn how good God is. The more I sin, the more of His forgiveness I experience. The more messed up our world looks, the more I long for a day when all the wrong will be made right and all that's broken will be mended. Of course, the dark sins that we struggle against are not good and are never what God wants. The next three verses of Romans make that obvious (go read Romans 6). But maybe, somehow, even though the dark itself isn't good, it makes the light at the end of the tunnel look overwhelmingly, wonderfully intense. And that is a very good thing.
Romans 8:28 "And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose."
My exhortation to you: claim this verse. You might be in the tunnel and trying to get out. If that's you, take heart. Not only is there a light at the end of the tunnel, but you can have confidence that God is using the tunnel to help you enjoy the light even more. Alternatively, you may be in the tunnel and don't really want to get out. If that's you, take your shades off, quit your sin, and walk toward the light! It always burns your eyes a little bit, but it's better that way. Trust me. Lastly, you may be walking in the light and the tunnels are far behind. If that's you, then enjoy it! But don't ever forget what the tunnel is like, and don't fail to help your brother who's walking there right now.
