Sometime ago I read Tobias Wolff's excellent novel, Old School. I was struck by the comments of one of the characters.
He speaks about "tropism, what makes a plant grow toward the light. Everything living aspires to the light. You don't have to chase down a fly to get rid of it - you just darken the room, leave a crack of light in a window, and out he goes. Works every time. We all have that instinct, that aspiration."
He speaks about "tropism, what makes a plant grow toward the light. Everything living aspires to the light. You don't have to chase down a fly to get rid of it - you just darken the room, leave a crack of light in a window, and out he goes. Works every time. We all have that instinct, that aspiration."
We are by our very nature drawn to the light. "Everything living aspires to the light." And, at our deepest level, the human heart seeks the One who is the source of all light. Even when we are distracted by false lights, even when we turn from God's light - the longing for the light of His presence and grace abides. We are made for the light not for darkness.
Lent begins this week. During the coming weeks we are invited to consciously turn from the darkness toward the light; we prepare ourselves to let the Easter light enter in at a deeper level; we open ourselves more fully to Christ's liberating power.
At a particular time when he struggled with the confusion of competing lights, the young Francis of Assisi begged God: "Enlighten the darkness of my heart. Give me a right faith..."
Faith dims the false lights so the true light can get us home.
