There is certainly no shortage of metaphorical darkness so far in 2020. Why does God allow a thing like COVID-19? Seems no explanation can suffice at times. And so we wonder…but like any mystery, “darkness” can be a kind of light.
How so? Darkness can lead us to seek light provided that we have the right disposition; it can open our hearts and make answers possible for us; it also leads us to knowledge. Darkness becomes a kind of light whenever it helps us to see. Note that you probably don’t really notice a lit exit sign in a crowded theater until all the other lights go out.
To illustrate further, I’ll share a story of a Christmas ornament we purchased while in Walt Disney World several years ago. It was an ornament sized replica of Mickey’s magicians’ hat. The hat could light up via a simple on/off switch. But unlike all the other lights on the tree, there was no way to hook it in with the on/off timer.
After hanging the hat in the tree with the manual light switch in the “on” position, it blended in more or less with the rest of the tree; not particularly noticeable with all the other lights, tinsel and ornaments unless pointed out or happened upon.
As you might predict, no one remembered to manually turn the hat light “off”, so early the next morning while it was still dark, I came down stairs and instantly noticed one small light glaring at me from the tree and thought, “What’s that?” Although I had completely forgotten about the ornament, it was now natural—and almost impossible—not to notice it.
St. Thomas Aquinas tells us that good signifies “perfect being” and evil signifies “the privation of perfect being”, so when someone acts with a lack of love, or a thing lacks something it ought to have, we perceive the deficiency as evil. COVID-19 can be called evil for the human race because it takes away our wellbeing when we ought to be heathy.
Another example is blindness; it is evil for a human because a human ought to have sight. Blindness or darkness relates to “evil” as vision or light relates to “good”. No allegory is perfect, but darkness as an allegory for evil is eerily close because no one can really give or bring evil, just as no one can really give or bring darkness, one can only take away or block the light.
Some of the good things in life that we take for granted can act as distractions that prevent us from paying attention to higher goods or even the Highest Good. So here we are in the midst of COVID-19 and many good things have been taken away from us (just like turning out the lights). But could it be that some of the events, activities, entertainment and even work have been distractions for us?
Many of us spend a lot of our time diverting ourselves from the ultimate questions in life concerning God, Goodness, Beauty & Truth. We seek distractions, but we now have an opportunity to put away our distractions—the shutdown has forced this upon us—so we can now contemplate the higher goods and even the Highest Good.
We need a certain comfort level with darkness, however, if we are to be led properly. Without at least some acceptance of darkness, we might reject, or just not notice that guiding light trying to lead us to union with God, and perhaps travel down a false path instead that ultimately becomes a mere figment of our imagination.
“I will lead the blind on a way they do not know; by paths they do not know I will guide them. I will turn darkness into light before them, and make crooked ways straight. These are my promises: I made them, I will not forsake them” (Is 42:16)
Perhaps God allowed COVID-19 because He knows that worse is to come. “Got to get these people into shape”
Perhaps God allowed COVID-19 because He knows that worse is to come. “Got to get these people into shape”
More likely God’s reaction is the observation that a great flood is unnecessary. Human folly is always sufficient.
Maybe God ‘allowed’ this evil as part of His plan to bring Himself greater glory.
He promised never to give us more than we can bear.
Today, millions are living a nightmare. They are being jarred awake to the fact that they are mortal.
He promised never to give us more than we can bear.
The inmates at Auschwitz might have wondered about that promise. Once again, however, the problem was not God but Man.
Good essay Ben.
My thought when I first read your title: I wonder if our “three days of darkness” are metaphorical and this event is part of the first day. Also will our three days of darkness- physical or metaphysical – bring us to the Light ultimately.
More likely God’s reaction is the observation that a great flood is unnecessary
Hard to tell, given that genetic engineering is easier and easier. But I think I’d still bet more on fire than flood.