Darkness for spiritual & psychological growth

Darkness for spiritual & psychological growth

Author and speaker Sister Joyce Rupp, in her book `Little Pieces of Light ... Darkness and Personal Growth' says in a prayer at the end: “And yes, I thank you for my darkness, (the unwanted companion I shun and avoid) because this pushy intruder comes with truth and reveals my hidden treasures to me.”

Darkness is essential for growth, because it makes us reach into our own depths, where lay hidden treasures of wisdom and knowledge. Though our focus may be on the depths of our misery or on our lack of capacity, darkness reaches into the most tender and vulnerable corners of our beings, and draws out the truth about ourselves.

The truth is that we have potential but are weighed down by failures and weaknesses. But when we see this, the weak spots can become sources of our strength. We welcome and value illumination in our moments of darkness, but where do we turn for help? Delving deeper into ourselves, we discover that there are glimmers of light that protect and reassure us, bringing back our self-confidence. Whoever would have thought that in the blackest of moments, we would find sparks that inspire and resuscitate us? But it's true. Darkness, in many ways, is the precursor of psychological and spiritual growth.

Even though things seem bleak and there is no solution in sight, hidden away, in all these circumstances, there are opportunities and invitations to grow. All we have to do is look within and discover the light. We may have produced something that was a massive flop. We may have made fools of ourselves, we may have got a crude rebuff from someone who we least expected to be unkind ¬ yes, these are all a form of darkness. Yet, all is not lost.

When confronted by the unpleasant and harsh realities of life, we step into the arena of darkness and all of it is not individual angst but could be caused by external events and situations if, for example, one lives in an oppressive society or is faced with violence. It is here that we have to draw up the courage to do battle not just with inner demons but external threats as well.

Then there is all the good that still exists in the universe. Ever so often, deliverance has come to us from those who have accompanied us on life's pathways. Maybe, it was because they had prescience, and they could see a little ahead of us. They may have given us insights that we would never have arrived at if unassisted.

The greatest truth about ourselves is that we are accepted by God where we are and the way we are in the present. He meets us at the point we turn things over to Him. The darker the night, the brighter the stars burn. We, too, encounter, as Joyce Rupp says, many points of light in our lives, howsoever bad things may seem.

Sometimes, we may be depressed about something or feel that things are not going right; that there is no light at the end of the tunnel. But, it is only by experiencing such darkness that we grow to fullness of stature as human beings. Because it is darkness that reveals the real truth about us.