Preferring Darkness to Light

“And this is the verdict: The light came into the world, but people preferred darkness to light because their works were evil.” John 3:19

Lent is a good time to reflect on this line that stirs us from the Gospel today: How am I preferring darkness to light in my daily words, thoughts, emotions, and actions? Questions to ponder:

• Do I succumb to frustrations?
• Am I irritable?
• Do I complain constantly?
• Do I despair or get depressed?
• Do I get angry and provoke fights?
• Do I doomscroll?
• Do I get discouraged?
• Do I spend time ruminating on my anxieties?
• Do I gossip or slander?
• Do I lust after material things?
• Am I absorbed in the world?
• Do I have restless feelings in my soul?
• Am I self-focused?

If we’re honest with ourselves, we can acknowledge that we do prefer darkness to light many times. We do choose dark words, emotions, thoughts, and actions over light ones often and it results in sin. We are all too often restless, frustrated, and unhappy with how our lives are. We so often seek happiness in everything but God.

Preferring darkness (whether knowingly or unknowingly) keeps us locked in the cycle of darkness. It prevents the Light from breaking in, that is love, compassion, peace, joy, goodess, and being close to God.

In secular society, an antitode to this darkness is the practice of meditation. In meditation, we reflect on positive things like compassion, gratitude, loving kindness, non-judgment, and so forth. Meditation changes our thoughts when practiced regularly, and consequently changes our actions towards ourselves and others.

As Catholic-Christians, prayerful meditation does the same. It’s the antidote to darkness. It turns to God, the giver of light, in dark moments. With practice, it transforms our words, thoughts, emotions, and actions to ones that are of light. Conversion to the light starts with prayerful meditation on the things and words of God. From there, it expands to converting our whole being into more light and less darkness, and flows into our thoughts, words, and actions.

If preferring darkness to light is something that’s an ongoing challenge for you, consider the practice of prayerful meditation as the start to letting more of the light into your soul.