8 Do not gloat over me, my enemy! Though I have fallen, I will rise. Though I sit in darkness, the LORD will be my light. Micah 7:8
By Bobby R. Henry, Sr.
No matter how deep the darkness may seem, the light will come. As James 1:17 reminds us, “Every good thing given and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shifting shadow.” This truth offers a foundation of hope even in the bleakest of times.
Darkness often masks itself as adversity, whether self-inflicted or beyond our control. If you don’t pay your light bill, the darkness comes because of your actions. Yet, when a storm knocks out your lights, you have no say in the matter. In both cases, the result is the same: darkness. What makes the difference is knowing who is with you in that darkness, providing security, clarity, and guidance.
The challenges of being Black, Brown, LBGQT+, Jewish or nonwhite we’ve faced, have cast a shadow over the entire world. This darkness has diverted our attention, allowing longstanding issues like inequity and political trickery to persist. It is as if the darkness seeks to cover truths that have long existed in the light. But as the saying goes, “What happens in the dark comes to light.”
Though the darkness of this pandemic affects us all, it does not discriminate, blanketing the just and unjust alike. Yet, even as it exposes the fragility of leadership and the inequities in society, there is reassurance in knowing that day always follows night. When the light comes, it will illuminate everything, and nothing will remain hidden.
During this time, we must be mindful of our actions while we still have the light to guide us. As scripture reminds us, “No man can work when the night comes.” But even when lost in the darkness, we must cling to the hope that we are never alone.
I recall an experience in Dayton, Ohio, while working at a juvenile residential treatment home. A reward for the students was an outdoor adventure in the wilderness—a place so vast and beautiful that it was easy to lose one’s way. One evening, as the sun set, we realized we were lost. Anxiety took over, and tensions rose as we struggled to navigate back.
In that moment, leadership and preparation became critical. Although I was in charge, being lost felt like no one was in control. By working together and relying on the skills we had learned, we found our way back. The lesson was clear: even during uncertainty, unity and trust in the process can guide us home.
Today, the world feels much like that wilderness—chaotic, uncertain, and overwhelming. Leadership seems lost, and the stakes are unimaginably high. Yet, I have come to understand that some things are beyond our control. The burden is lighter when we entrust it to the true Burden Bearer.
If we know someone is lost—whether physically, mentally, or spiritually—and we fail to offer direction, we risk becoming lost ourselves. This includes even, the incoming President(POTUS), his Cabinet, both the House and Senate to include most of the Supreme Court. Let us remember the words of Luke 15:4: “What man of you, having a hundred sheep, if he has lost one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the open country and go after the one that is lost, until he finds it?”
We are all in this together, and together, we will find the light. For no matter how dark it gets, light will always come.
“Dear God. In the name of Jesus. We come seeking Your marvelous Light to shine our way out of this darkness that is guiding us blindly into a world of confusion created by man. Dark now, though it may be, we are not “lending to our own understanding” but, forever trusting in You the Creator of all good and perfect things. In Jesus name please hear our prayers.”
OUT OF THE DARKNESS INTO THE MARVELOUS LIGHT
