Darkness Before the Dawn

Such a quiet, peaceful morning. The moon casts house and tree shadows along my street. I’ll venture to say that of all the people on this short street, I am the only one awake at this hour. Maybe not. I certainly don’t know if some of my neighbors find sleep elusive for one reason or another. Perhaps they are night owls (or early morning owls) like me. Only thing I know is, all appears still and resting when viewed from my window on the world. Oh, wait! Is that a small, stealthy cat shadow under the tree? So perhaps there are two of us watching for the dawn, the cat and me.

In many places of our great land, the morning holds no quiet beauty. Hearts are torn and lives are shattered. Peace for these people is something remembered because tragedy has touched their lives. Loved ones have been wrenched from their midst by the cruel, mindless hands of violent people. And I wonder why. Why does hatred and brutality take hold of hearts and minds so that there’s nothing left of humanity but an outward shell? What causes a person to have no other goal  but to destroy another person? Why are they so corrupt that they cannot realize that in destroying a fellow human being, they are destroying themselves?

The Bible calls Satan a deceiver, blinding people’s eyes. Hatred, brutality, destruction, and, to top it off, lies, all these are weapons of the great Deceiver. And in direct opposition to him is the Lord Jesus who taught people to love each other; not to kill, not to destroy but simply to love. How much? Well, try a love that puts other’s welfare above one’s own.

In spite of all I see and hear, I know that good will triumph over evil. And already has. That was taken care of on the cross of the Lord Jesus. Prayer is a protection and a hedge against harm. There is great evil in our land but there is also great good. We hear a lot about brutality and violence and very little about the much greater force of those who love peace and goodness. The Bible tells us what is lasting and what will endure. It isn’t hatred. It’s love. “And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these is charity” (I Corinthians 13:13). And, on this still, lovely morning in my town, I am grateful for the abiding power of love.