Go towards the light

We are told to stay away from the dark. We have created artificial lights to keep the darkness at bay. We leave the porch light on to keep the strangers from the night from invading our space. The light has become our protection from the dangers of dark.

Churches today have adopted the same principle. As long as we stay in the light, we will be ok. As Christians, we need to stay away from the dark and the darkness of sin. If we happen into the darkness--lose a child, stumble into sin, we mustn't stay there too long. This is a general way to recognize what Barbara Brown Taylor calls "full solar churches".

The American idea of pulling ourselves up by our boot straps. We haven't been taught how to support someone in the dark night, so we need them to come out of it as soon as possible so we can get back to blessing God for His goodness.

But what happens when you don't fit the formula? When you don't get well fast enough or feel better soon enough. People have questioned, maybe you didn't pray hard enough, or pray using the right words; otherwise their would be a different outcome. If I pray without doubting, I'm supposed to get what I desire. But what happens, when God doesn't come through on that?

Who is God if He is not the one who answers our prayers?