Discernment: The Element of Darkness

Discernment:  In today’s Gospel, John 3: 16-21, the evangelist reminds us that “the light came into the world, but people preferred darkness to light, because their works were evil.  For everyone who does wicked things hates the light and does not come toward the light, so that his [or her] works might not be exposed. But whoever lives the truth comes to the light, so that his [or her] works may be clearly seen as done in God.”

Let’s write that as though John were addressing us personally. It would read as follows:  “When you prefer darkness to light, you do so because your works were evil.  When you do what is wrong, you hate the light and avoid coming toward the light, so that ‘ your works might not be exposed.’  But when you live the truth, you come to the light, so that your ‘works may be clearly seen as done in God.’”

Dis

One of the elements of discernment involves darkness. Only if I know darkness will I know light. That is true in discernment.  A discerning person goes through darkness before coming into the light. It is because the person recognizes being in the dark that she/he also recognizes when the light is turned on.