Amos 5:18-20

“Alas for you who desire the day of the Lord! Why do you want the day of the Lord? It is darkness, not light; as if someone fled from a lion, and was met by a bear…” vss. 18-19a

When Amos spoke of the “day of the Lord” he was thinking of that time when God would break into our human existence with power and might, something like the apocalypse mentioned in other parts of scripture. He’s telling his listeners that such a day might bring them something other than what they had desired. Amos knew what he was talking about! Many people express a desire to draw closer to God, or perhaps have God come to them in a transformative way. What they sometimes don’t realize is that such an experience could very well bring them more darkness than light. At least that’s the testimony of nearly everyone who has spent time seeking enlightenment or a closer connection to the Divine. They don’t discourage the meditative practice, in fact they speak of the blessings that come from such interior journeys, but all of them say that as we come to a true knowledge of self, we will move through the dark night of the soul. It’s like a dying to the self, without a clear sense of whether there is even any life beyond such a death. While that may not sound appealing, those who engage in meditation almost universally report that it’s in the dying that they receive eternal life, a union with God that brings peace beyond understanding.

Thought for the Day: What have my darkest times taught me?