Monday, May 31

O send out your light and your truth; let them lead me; let them bring me to your holy hill and to your dwelling.
—Psalm 43:3

Darkness is sometimes the companion that leads us into the deepest and richest part of our selves. It requires that we go blindly, trusting in what cannot be seen. 

Like a walk to a nearby lake on a moonless night, we find ourselves unable to distinguish what lies ahead, so we travel more slowly, more mindfully. While we would probably find it difficult to traverse a vast territory in the dark, we can at least move forward bit by bit.

Yet the absence of light alone is not what makes traveling to the Holy One difficult. It is the absence of truth. We are surrounded each day with untruth. We are untruthful ourselves at times, and we experience untruth from others. Untruth is blacker than darkness. 

When untruth has created a circle around our lives, we become frozen in place. The darkness is so great that we cannot even make our way forward in halted steps. We do not know which way to turn because we are not sure what information is true. And so we remain paralyzed.

When you cast a glance around your life and find that your mind is muddled, your soul is dull, your body aches from disuse and you are engulfed in deep blackness, it is time to pray for the light of truth. Stay still and wait for the dart of light to show you the truth that illumines. Then let your soul follow the light that satisfies its deepest yearnings.

O God, when my limbs are like old stumps that cannot move, slip your light of truth into the crevices of my life, so I may find you again.

These Signposts originally appeared on explorefaith in 2004.