I can navigate the sometimes treacherous path to the bathroom in complete darkness, dodging renovation tools, legos, and craft supplies littering the stairs. I don't need light because it's a well-traveled familiar path.
And I think much of our lives are like this. We confidently walk familiar paths without needing a light.
But following Jesus is an invitation to walk into unfamiliar places. The darkest corners where marginalized, vulnerable people live. It's scary and disorienting and I think we avoid it because we want a bright light to shine into every nook, exposing every potential obstacle.
Years ago, we took our first giant leap of faith into a life of ministry. And then into foster care and adoption. And then lept out of full-time ministry and into running a nonprofit with a million steps of faith along the way. And what we imagined is we'd take this one giant leap of faith in the darkness, and then our path would be clear and well-lit.
Except it's not. It's one leap of faith in the darkness, followed by another dark step. So we keep our eyes on Jesus.
We follow Him and enter the unfamiliar darkness without fear because the light of the world shines here.
Maybe you're questioning how? How do we take this first step into the darkness? And that's what we'll talk about next week.