Eclipse Journey
It’s Eclipse Eve. We are all
expecting tomorrow to witness one of the greatest sights in the universe – a
total solar eclipse. The other day I read an article saying that this eclipse
experience can draw us closer to God and to each other. Indeed, the Bible says,
“The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands”
(Ps 19:1, NIV). We are drawn to God the Creator when we see the wonders of nature.
We are also drawn to one another as we share this memorable experience together
as a community. We will remember April 8, 2024, and say, “I too was there.”
Somehow eclipse also reminds us of our own spiritual journey – from darkness to light, from death to life. We’re all in different places in our lives. Let us pause, ponder, and ask ourselves, “Where am I?” Let me ask you, “Where are you on your journey?” Perhaps some of us are in a place where we feel distant from God.
Dark Night of the Soul
If so, you are not the only one who
feels that way. In fact, it’s a part of the journey. Our spiritual ancestors in
the Bible and in the church have gone through this same journey, what’s called, the “dark night of the soul.”
What is the dark night of the soul? The dark night of the soul is when we are going through a dark season of life. Whether we are struggling with our faith, lost a loved one, or are going through a health issue, all these things can lead to a dark night of the soul. Sometimes it comes upon us so suddenly without any particular reason.
When we are in the dark season, we feel like we are going backward emotionally and spiritually. Our spiritual disciplines that were once life-giving (ex. Prayer, Bible reading) are now dull, boring, wearisome, and dry. We feel like we’re not bearing fruit. We feel like God has abandoned us. We feel like God isn’t real. We feel like this will last forever. But deep in our hearts desire for God runs deep. We hunger for God and his presence.
What’s actually happening in this dark season is “progression” instead of “regression.” God is freeing us from all attachments and idols while we are going through this painful dark night of the soul. Psychiatrist and theologian Gerald May rightly said in this way:
Each of us has countless attachments. We are attached to our daily routines,
our environments, our relationships, and of course our possessions… In a
spiritual sense, the objects of our attachments and addictions become idols.
We give them our time, energy, and attention whether we want to or not, even –
and often especially – when we are struggling to rid ourselves of them. We want
to be free, compassionate, and happy, but in the face of our attachments we are
clinging, grasping, and fearfully self-absorbed. This is the root of our
trouble.[1]
Through the dark night of the soul God is stripping us of our attachments to set us free and to give us a humble desire for God, saying, “Whom have I in heaven but you? And there is nothing on earth I desire besides you” (Psalm 73:25). The dark night is a time of refining.
Jonah
One of many examples who have gone
through the dark night is Jonah. He was God’s prophet – a man of faith. He
enjoyed a close relationship with God, listening and talking to God. Life was
good. But one day God gave Jonah a mission that made no sense to him –
preaching the message of repentance to his enemy, the people of Nineveh. So
Jonah ran away from God’s presence. We know the rest of the story. He ended up
being in the belly of the big fish. Depth. Darkness. Death. Silence.
Solitude. That’s where Jonah is now. He is right in the middle of the dark
night.
What should we do during a dark night? How can we cope with it? We can learn at least two things from Jonah’s example.
Flying by the Instruments
Jonah prays to God from the belly
of the fish, saying, “I called to the Lord out of my distress, and he answered
me; out of the belly of Sheol I cried, and you heard my voice” (v. 2).
Even though Jonah is now in the place of death, he has learned to trust God because
of God’s past dealings with him. Through his personal experiences, he knew God is
faithful, he knew God is merciful, he knew God is just. So in
the darkest valley he is patiently waiting, praying, trusting.
Aircraft pilots must learn to fly by the instruments. What does it mean by that? When a pilot flies into a dark cloud or at night, it becomes dangerous for them to trust their physical perceptions. They might feel like they’re flying straight, when they are actually descending toward the ground. So they must learn to trust what the plane’s instruments are telling them, not what their feelings are telling them.
There are times when we just can’t see; reality is hidden. We feel uncertain of direction. We feel like it’s a waste of time, no clear timeline. We feel like God is absent. But feelings and emotions are not always an accurate barometer of reality. The reality is God is never absent. God is always near, even when we don’t feel a thing. “If I ascend to heaven, you are there; if I make my bed in Sheol, you are there” (Psalm 139:8). So in the dark night we need to patiently wait, pray, and walk by faith – faith in God’s character – not by sight. We need to fly by the instruments. That’s the first thing we can learn from Jonah.
Gratitude
The second is gratitude.
Jonah’s prayer from the belly of the fish written in chapter 2 is often called
a prayer of thanksgiving. It’s still dark, still depressing, still uncertain.
He’s still in the belly of the fish. But Jonah concludes his prayer with
thanksgiving in this way: “But I with the voice of thanksgiving will sacrifice
to you; what I have vowed I will pay. Deliverance belongs to the Lord!” (v. 9)
This past week was particularly challenging for the Hans. Holy Week, Easter, then Eclipse Weekend was coming. In between, starting with Hannah, Esther, Grace, Abe, and I got sick. In one particular morning it was challenging to even get out of bed – no strength, no desire, no motivation. I felt overwhelmed. Then I decided to practice gratitude for the little things. If I get out of bed, it’s a win. If I get down the stairs and have breakfast, it’s a win. If one of the sick children feels better, it’s a win. If I pray for my father’s surgery, it’s a win. In the dark night, we can slow down, savor the little things, and practice gratitude, instead of trying to skip or rush through it.
Take My Hand, Lord!
Thomas was born into a pastor’s
family. He had a gift for music. In his late teens he became famous. Then he
compromised in his lifestyle and turned away from God. He was weary and
restless. One of his relatives urged him to return to God. At the age of twenty-one,
he did. He encountered God personally. Since then, he used his gift for
God-honoring music. He worked with some of the greatest singers in the history
of gospel music. Thomas was enjoying God’s blessing to the full: happy
marriage, growing ministry, first child on the way. Life was good.
But then the dark night came upon him. One night he got a telegram. It read simply: “Your wife just died.” She had passed away in childbirth. He ran to the hospital, and the following day his newborn son also died. He avoided people and grew angry at God. He said, “I don’t want to serve Him anymore or write gospel songs.” He isolated himself, nursing his anger and sorrow. One day one of his friends took Thomas to a neighborhood music school. That evening as the sun was setting, Thomas sat down at a piano and began to play… and pray. He poured out his heart to God:
Precious
Lord, take my hand, Lead me on, let me stand,
I
am tired, I am weak, I am worn;
Through
the storm, through the night, Lead me on to the light:
Take
my hand, precious Lord, lead me home.
In the dark night Jonah didn’t know how long it would last. But God did – it was for three days. In the belly of the fish Jonah felt like a waste of time, no purpose, no direction. But God had a plan – the fish was directly heading toward Nineveh.
If you are going through the dark night of the soul, be encouraged. It’s a season. It will not last forever. By God’s sheer grace a breakthrough will come. Let our prayer change from, “God, take me out of this,” to, “God, take my hand, take me through.” There is a light, there is a purpose, there are answers.
[1] John Mark Comer, “Step Sheet,” https://practicingthewayarchives.org/naming-your-stage-of-apprenticeship/step-sheet#:~:text=Slow%20down%20and%20enjoy%20the,actually%20be%20a%20joyful%20season
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