Dark Tunnel, Bright Light

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Colossians 1:13-14

“For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.”


Picture this:

I’m rollerblading through a dark tunnel that runs under the very busy main road near my house. The graffiti-stained cement walls are rounded; there are light fixtures every two feet, but the lights are not on. The ground, which I can barely see, is bumpy. Perhaps it’s dried mud; perhaps it’s debris. Either way, I can’t see whatever it is that is causing this seasoned blader to stumble. When I entered, I cruised with confidence, sure of my path and ready to go. As I near the center of the tunnel, it is so dark—dark enough to force me to slow my pace and creep carefully along. I begin to feel that even though I know there is light at the end, it seems like eons away. I doubt. It’s so dark in the depths of the tunnel, that I can’t see the light. Will I ever reach the sunlight at the end of this dark, cold, cement tunnel?

Picture this: The dominion of darkness. There is no light at the end of this tunnel; there is no light at all to guide a person along. Your dominion of darkness does not look or feel or smell the same as mine did. You struggle and fight and blade toward what you desperately hope is the end, but you never make it. Not on your own. It is endless.


Light bulb:

The light that you hope is at the end of the tunnel—it is there. It is the kingdom of Jesus Christ! God rescues us from our dominions of darkness and brings us into the light. The light that somehow we knew all along was there, but could not get to by ourselves. When I’m rollerblading through the dark cold tunnel, I despair that I will ever again see the light of day. As I finally burst into the sunshine, my eyes drink in the bright blue sky, the green buds of spring, the glistening water of the pond before me. My ears tune in to the meadowlark singing her song, and the hum of the roads around me. My muscles tense and release as my body swings into a natural rhythm and settles in for a perfect blade … I feel right. I feel complete. I’ve left the darkness of the tunnel behind me. Just as when I was brought into my Lord’s kingdom, felt His forgiveness, and knew I was home. 3-08-06