June 7 - 1 John 2:9-11. Darkness

June 7 - 1 John 2:9-11. Darkness

Anyone who claims to be in the light but hates a brother or sister is still in the darkness. Anyone who loves their brother and sister lives in the light, and there is nothing in them to make them stumble. But anyone who hates a brother or sister is in the darkness and walks around in the darkness. They do not know where they are going, because the darkness has blinded them.

There is not much worse than stumbling around in the darkness.  I’ve managed to stub a few toes because of that.

My father was truly a good man.  He despised swearing of any type.  One time I used the word ‘drat’ because I knew that anything much stronger than that would get me the ‘I’m disappointed in you’ lecture.  Well, whaddya know!  I got the lecture anyway. The first time he used the word ‘hell’ in a sermon, even if it was to describe a location, I believe the ears of every person in our family perked up.  We’d never heard that word out of his mouth!

He was building some extra bookshelves in his bedroom – simple things with 1 x 8s and bricks.  The bricks were all stacked up in the hallway while he and mom got things organized.  They ended up staying there for a few days because life got in their way.  Dad got up to go to the bathroom in the middle of the night and because he didn’t want to wake us, he didn’t flip the light on.  His foot hit that stack of bricks and he let loose with a single word – DAMN!  That woke us all up and I don’t think anyone in the house breathed or moved until we heard him get to where he was going.  The bricks moved the next day.

Darkness blinds us.  We can’t make good decisions because we can’t see what is happening around us.  We stub our toes, we hurt ourselves, we frighten or hurt others.  Hatred blinds us.  We can’t make good decisions because we are so focused on the anger that surrounds us.  We hurt ourselves, we frighten or hurt others.

Love leads to light.  Walk towards the light!