And this is the judgment: the light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light because their works were evil. For everyone who does wicked things hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his works should be exposed. But whoever does what is true comes to the light, so that it may be clearly seen that his works have been carried out in God.”
When a child I can recall sitting on the doorstep of my home in Swansea with my uncle William for company star gazing on a cloudless evening, impressed by signals the twinkling stars appeared to be sending as if to say, there is more to us than the eye can see, or the mind can fathom. My uncle's war time service in the Royal Navy included convey protection shepherding merchant vessels en route to Murmansk filled with military supplies for the Red Army offering him the opportunity to star gaze on crispy cold nights when his watch obliged him to keep an eye out for enemy aircraft, or ships.
My uncle impressed on me that the stars were always staring down at us even during the day time, despite being visible only during the hours of darkness. In other words we need the darkness to better appreciate the light being emitted by the stars.
Knowing the difference between good, and evil behaviour enables us to make decisions reflecting the light alive in our life.
“My argument against God was that the universe seemed so cruel and unjust. But how had I got this idea of just and unjust? A man does not call a line crooked unless he has some idea of a straight line. What was I comparing this universe with when I called it unjust?”
― C.S. Lewis, Mere Christianity
A reluctance to judge another may well be the wisest of choices, when reflecting on our own many flaws concealed by remaining silent.
Jung argues that without the presence of our inner darkness to teach us its lessons, we can never fully appreciate the influence of the light pointing us in the direction better serving the common good.
“In myths the hero is the one who conquers the dragon, not the one who is devoured by it. And yet both have to deal with the same dragon. Also, he is no hero who never met the dragon, or who, if once he saw it, declared afterwards that he saw nothing. Equally, only one who has risked the fight with the dragon and is not overcome by it wins the hoard, the “treasure hard to attain”. He alone has a genuine claim to self-confidence, for he has faced the dark ground of his self and thereby has gained himself. This experience gives some faith and trust, the pistis in the ability of the self to sustain him, for everything that menaced him from inside he has made his own. He has acquired the right to believe that he will be able to overcome all future threats by the same means. He has arrived at an inner certainty which makes him capable of self-reliance.” ~ Carl Jung
Facing our struggles with life's daily challenges we learn from experience the difference between right, and wrong led by a growing awareness that something within us is encouraging us follow its well lit path out of our dilemma.
16 the people living in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of the shadow of death a light has dawned.”
~ Matthew 4
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