Pitch Black

Yesterday I wrote a little about the creation of light and the greatness of God as he spoke all of it into existence. As I finished that thought, I continued to think of the necessity of contrast when speaking of how we perceive light. It is never merely light and dark. There are varying shades within that entire spectrum. The greatest way to accentuate light is to contrast it with shadow. I have tried my hand at some watercolor and it is amazing how you can create depth with the simple addition of a shadow. People are naturally drawn to light; we desire to see and be seen. Thus, an effective artist designer uses darkness to direct attention toward that which is lit. The second-to-last plague to strike Egypt was that of darkness. This darkness was so deep that one person could not see another. It was what we might call “pitch black. Verse 21 tells us that it was the kind of oppressive darkness that you feel. For three days the sun did not shine when it should have, and to accentuate the point, there was light where the people of Israel lived. The effect is similar to when we walk toward a single light through darkness. The light draws our attention, which seems to magnify both the depth of the darkness and the brightness of the light. God used this kind of contrast between darkness and light to reveal himself to Egypt. By allowing darkness to cover the land, the light God gave to his chosen people attracted the eyes of Pharaoh and all of Egypt. So it is with us, sometimes the darkness in our lives directs our eyes toward God’s love through Jesus Christ. The next time you see a shadow, think of the real Light of the World, Jesus. He secures all that is wonderful for us!