“But whoever lives the truth comes to the light, so that his works may be clearly seen as done in God.” (John 3:21)
We all could go through a dark or darkest moment of our lives. It happens in times of failure, separation, sickness, death, and other tragic events.
It doesn’t matter if we’re filled with faith or are wise on the doctrines and mysteries of our faith and the Scriptures. All of us go through what spiritual writers refer to as the “dark night of the soul.” It’s part of being human.
The question is what to do when this moment comes. Should we languish in despair? Should we rebel against God? Must we not accept defeat but cling to our human power? Or should we swallow this awful pill and surrender to God’s will. Any of these approaches is not easy.
What I know is that we can’t go through a dark period by ourselves. We need others to help us handle a crisis or a tragedy. We need someone to cry with, to unburden our fears and anxieties. We need people to give us some hope and assure us that things can get better and that life is not over yet.
What I know is that this is the moment that God is inviting us to turn to Him in prayer. He asks us not to ask for favors merely but to throw ourselves to him in sorrow, grief, praise, and adoration.
It’s the time to be in our most vulnerable self before God—to express our abject poverty of will and spirit.
Jesus showed his most vulnerable “human” self during his agony in the garden, on his way to Calvary, and his death on the cross. He gave his all to his Father, emptied himself of all human glory and comfort, shouted in agony and despair, and in the end commended his entire spirit to God.
It’s amazing to think that it is in his complete surrender to his Father that Jesus healed us all, saved humanity and the world, and brought us to hope in eternal life.
“It ain’t over yet until it’s over,” we hear this phrase in sports. In matters of faith, it means that there is a reason to live through our anguish and suffering, doubts and fears. Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection revealed it to us.
As Jesus said in the Gospel of John upon learning of his friend Lazarus’ death: “This illness is not to end in death, but is for the glory of God, that the Son of God may be glorified through it.” (John 11:4)
It might be challenging to express and believe this truth. Still, it is comforting and enlightening to say that all things happen for a reason to give glory to God!
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The opinions, beliefs and viewpoints expressed by the author do not necessarily reflect the opinions, beliefs and viewpoints of the Asian Journal, its management, editorial board and staff.
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Fr. Rodel “Odey” Balagtas is the pastor of Incarnation Church in Glendale, California.
