By: Colleen Brady OSF
John 12:46 - "I have come into the world as a light, so that no one who believes in me should stay in darkness."
I sat at the round table with five boys in grades 6-8. Their parents were either going through or had already been through a divorce. Their families were shattered and split. They didn't understand and turned to video games for consolation and distraction but felt no comfort or relief, only numbness. How do you explain this darkness and offer hope to their world which seemed utterly devoid of light?
Preaching was never an answer - only a turn off as were words of wisdom. How could I share my own hope and belief across this chasm of age and experience? I asked them if they had ever experienced total darkness; maybe they had visited a cave? What did that darkness feel like? Did they feel anything similar in their situation today?
What was it like to be in that total darkness when someone turns on the flashlight? Did it hurt their eyes or blind them? Was it a welcome light or did they wish to stay in that darkest of dark? Did that light offer comfort and give a sense of direction? And Who is this Light?
They got it - and for the rest of that school year, when times were particularly heavy, I could say, "Turn to the Light!" They understood perfectly and in that reminder, were able to manage another day.