Still afraid of the dark

This is an original Facebook note post of mine from three years ago:

Remember when you were a kid and it was normal to sleep with a small light or lamp on? Or maybe your parents kept a hallway light on and your door open just a crack, as to allow the light to illuminate your room just enough so monsters wouldn't come out of the closet or from underneath your bed? I certainly remember as a young boy, I had a vivid imagination and so at night the shadows I saw silhouetted on the walls could be terrifying; especially if I kept in mind the scary things I heard from other kids or adults, usually pertaining to demonic forces. These kept me up at times during nights when my thoughts were overloaded with thoughts that I know now opposed the vindicating power of Jesus. Interesting enough though, the Scriptures often depict darkness as an enemy to the Children of God. Consider a few verses.
-Isaiah 9:2: "The people walking in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of the shadow of death a light has dawned."
-Psalm 143:3: "The enemy pursues me, he crushes me to the ground; he makes me dwell in darkness like those long dead."
-Romans 13:12: "The night is nearly over; the day is almost here. So let us put aside the deeds of darkness and put on the armor of light."

I find it interesting that as we grow older, we learn that we shouldn't be afraid of the dark based on the rational reason that there is nothing there that isn't there in the light. As for the physical world this is true, and I think it is appropriate to emphasize this to children at a young age, when darkness is a certain fear. However, children have it right I believe to fear the darkness. The proverb writer puts it this way, "But the way of the wicked is like deep darkness; they do not know what makes them stumble," (Prov. 4:19). According to these words darkness is the realm of the wicked. This suggests that darkness is associated to be evil or has an evil presence within it. I suppose that's what's scary about darkness, even for grown-ups. Take for example a city street at night. If you walk along a sidewalk illuminated by street lights, you are able to see your surroundings. You will be able to see for yourself if the path you are walking is a safe one or not. However, what if you stumble across a dark corner or alley in the city. You have no way of knowing what dangers, if any, are lurking. And, as the proverb suggests, if you happen to stumble across danger, due to the lack of light, you have no idea what the danger is if, for example, vision was the only sense. Because vision is dependant on light, even what brings you security of knowing what danger there is becomes of no use to you.

So I suppose I am still afraid of the dark.

John 3:19-20 says, "This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but men loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil. Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that his deeds will be exposed." So, according to this darkness is an appropriate thing to fear, due to the dangers lurking. If one lives in the darkness, that person is unaware of the dangers that are around them. In our gospel message, those dangers are what make up sin, and sin is anything that separates us from God, who is Light. Jesus is light and He exposes that which is darkness, sin in each person's life. So, am I afraid of the dark? Yes. I am afraid of the dark in me, the things that are unexposed, the sins that keep me from living a fuller life in Christ who saves me. I am afraid of the dark, because I know that the light that has dawned is the Light of eternal hope. My prayer is that the Light that shines in the darkness burns brightly in me, exposing the evil in me so that I can be transformed ever more into the likeness of my Lord, Jesus, God of all.