My two years in Taos shaped my life and gave me a purpose and direction. I often reflect on its influence, and often miss those days. Without regrets, yet I still miss it. The dry powder of Taos Ski Valley. The eager trout just below it. Sopapillas at Michael’s Kitchen. A bowl of green chile at the Kit Carson Café. The First Baptist Church, who loved me back into the ministry. And the sunsets and sunrises! Jamie Tedesco has become a Facebook friend through another great Taos friend, Jeff Boyer.
This pic of Jamie’s of an Easter sunrise provides a great metaphor of the Christian life. You see a lot of darkness: the earth at the bottom, the mean black cloud at the top right. The dark rain beating down. Much like our lives. Though life before Taos was good, it had some darkness. And as great as Taos was, it also had dark times. Mark Twain knew mankind, “Everyone is a moon, and has a dark side which he never shows to anybody.”
Some darkness we invite in, by resisting the light. Others bring darkness which dumps on anyone close. Or far.
Then, in the midst of the darkness, God and his light blast through. At the bottom left, you can just see the sun emerging from the night, scattering the darkness and bring light and color and joy and victory. Realize that the interaction of darkness and God’s light can produce fire, like in the center right.
And remember the day of the pic—Easter—for that first one provides the power for our victory over darkness. By his resurrection, Jesus not only blasted death. He blasted our darkness that keeps us from God. He blasted our darkness that continues to keep us from all he has in store.
Philippians 3:10-11 gives the source, “I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, and so, somehow, to attain to the resurrection from the dead.”
We can know Jesus and the Father. We can experience the same power that led to the resurrection. We will still suffer, as he did. We may even die for our faith, as he did. Darkness still gets in some licks. But we gain victory over darkness, and share in the resurrection of Jesus.
We will still invite darkness in. As humans, we sin. We will still get hit from others’ choices. But they don’t beat us. By the power of the resurrection. You see, Easter isn’t just one day.
Kick Starting the Application
Are you facing darkness now? In the past? What most lets it in for you? Do you find some comfort in the darkness? Why? How can remembering this pic give you courage and power to push back at darkness? How can you better make the resurrection of Jesus a daily source of support for your faith?