In the Dark.

What if it IS True? Blog

Discovering, wrestling with, and trying like crazy to live Gospel virtue.

04/29/14

John 3:7B-15

Jesus said to Nicodemus:
“‘You must be born from above.’
The wind blows where it wills, and you can hear the sound it makes,
but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes;
so it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit.”
Nicodemus answered and said to him,
‘How can this happen?”
Jesus answered and said to him,
“You are the teacher of Israel and you do not understand this?
Amen, amen, I say to you,
we speak of what we know and we testify to what we have seen,
but you people do not accept our testimony.
If I tell you about earthly things and you do not believe,
how will you believe if I tell you about heavenly things?
No one has gone up to heaven
except the one who has come down from heaven, the Son of Man.
And just as Moses lifted up the serpent in the desert,
so must the Son of Man be lifted up,
so that everyone who believes in him may have eternal life.”

This passage is an obvious continuation of the the confusion for Nicodemus. As I said in yesterday's blog, I know the feeling. Even with the hindsight that 2000 years of history offers we are still often in the dark. Or at least I can speak for myself. I can't count the times that I've thought the path I was on was God's will only to discover that nothing could be further from the truth. St. Paul uses analogies like dim reflections and groping in darkness to describe even the most faithful of faith lives. Why should we expect anything different than what St. Paul and Nicodemus got?

Tough stuff. But I'm reminded of the Thomas Merton prayer about thinking that we're doing God's will versus actually doing it. In the prayer Merton prays that the desire to do God's will is at least enough to show that we're trying. I think that's what's, by and large, most important. Are we trying or are we phoning it in? That's a good way to judge our own effectiveness. Where's our heart? Christ was always tough on those who put on the air of spiritual prowess. No doubt Nicodemus fell into this category. However, he at least seems to be an atypical Pharisee.

I do believe there was honest integrity to Nicodemus. He may have come in the dark of the night so his friends wouldn't see him, but it was out of a seemingly sincere desire to know who Christ was. I remember the days of being uncomfortable broadcasting my desire to know Jesus. That's a tough transition. Especially if you think your reputation is on the line. But isn't that when it counts the most? What's t risk? Christ tells us about those who have given up tremendous amounts to give themselves to God. He's also clear about the reward that awaits to those who do. So what about you? Are you holding on to what you think is comfort for the sake of really giving in? If your relationship with Christ is in the dark it's time to step into the light.

Good luck and God bless,

Leo Brown