In the darkroom the negative takes
form, losing identity as a picture emerges. This aptly named negative belongs
to the darkness and can only be developed there. It’s a shifting paradigm to conjure the dark as anything
but an evil swirling abyss, empty and threatening. Where God is absent.
Yet a shift there must be that dark
gives birth to life. In the inky womb the baby sleeps and is perfected. In the stygian
underground, seeds laced in black soil defy gravity to shoot up green. The
clefts of rocks are dark; He hides us and we are safe.
The old hymn sings, “When Jacob met
the Lord upon that lonely night…”
A dark night for the repentant thief.
The chorus trills, “I want, I WANT, that kind of blessing… (caps added).
Really? In the ebony night? When
the markets turn and the favour runs low and the words we strive for hover in
sight but dance frustratingly beyond reach? And that shame - as we fight until morning light
breaks when dawn shows that God was, and is, closest to us in
the dark!
The blessing in and of the dark is
only found in the darkroom. The place where the negative surrenders.
SUSAN HARRIS hosts 1-Minute Prayer
on Facebook. She is the author of
six books and her work has appeared in several other publications and blogs.
http://susanharris.ca
http://www.amazon.com/Susan-Harris/e/B007XMP4QS/
https://www.facebook.com/pages/1-Minute-Prayer/368981386624849
4 comments:
Thanks for shining your poetic light into the darkness.
Is it poetic? What a beautiful observation, David. Thank you so much.
I smile Susan, for, like David, I also recognized the poetic element in your piece. The darkroom's an interesting analogy. Thanks for presenting this deep and significant truth. ~~+~~
Yes it's poetic! I agree. Well said, Susan!
Pam Mytroen
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