Lesson 3: In the Dark

Genesis 1:1-3

 In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters.

And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light.

Comments

Science has concluded that the universe began about 14 billion years ago. Before that moment, neither time nor space, neither energy nor matter existed. In an instantaneous burst of energy, the universe went from being almost infinitely small and utterly dark to being almost infinitely large with countless points of light.

This explanation of the origin of the universe is popularly called the Big Bang Theory. Though the whole idea sounds rather elegantly impossible, it nonetheless makes sense of data showing that the universe continues to expand in every direction.

Science speaks of “the Big Bang” as a singularity: a non-repeatable, non-observable, inexplicable event. Faith speaks of it as the moment of creation. Both stand in awe.

Reflections

Genesis says that in the beginning, the world was nothing but utter darkness and chaos. Still today, life can be that way. On a large scale, we face war, tyranny, poverty, greed, human trafficking and terrorist acts that plunge us into darkness. At a personal level, we deal with grief, loss, failure, betrayal, abuse, violence and other events that stagger us. What have been the greatest times of darkness and chaos in your own life?

Genesis also says that the Spirit of God was there in the darkness and chaos, hovering over it all. Have you been able to sense the presence of God in your own times of darkness? If not, can you look back on those times now and see how God was with you?

Genesis says that light came into an utterly dark world at God’s command. In what ways has God brought light into your own darkness? Was it something that happened in an instant or over a long period of time?

For further reflection on themes of light and darkness, read the first chapter of the gospel of John.

Prayer

Blessed are you, O Lord our God, King of the universe, who hovers over us in darkness and brings light into our lives.