Then God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light. And God saw that the light was good. Then he separated the light from the darkness. God called the light “day” and the darkness “night.” Genesis 1:3-5.

Thus we have light and darkness like these are simply opposite of each other. This is not true. Light and darkness are not equal.

I’m sure someone with a physics background can use science to prove to us that light and darkness are not equal. That is not me.

I’m sure someone who loves Star Wars can use the theology of Star Wars to prove to us that light and darkness are not equal. That is not me.

What I do have is some notes from one of my sons who is in prison. We pinged back-and-forth ways how light and darkness are not equal. Here is what our non-physics non-Star Wars minds came up with:

• Light and darkness are not opposites. Light and darkness are not competing forces.
• Light is infinitely more powerful than darkness.
• Darkness is really the absence of light. Light and darkness have no relationship to each other.
• Light has never seen the darkness and darkness has never seen the light.
• Light is more powerful than darkness because darkness is always at the mercy of Light.
• You can’t get rid of darkness by dealing with darkness. If you are tired of darkness, find the source of Light and the darkness will automatically disappear.

Now with my Brene’ Brown love (which has infected my mind) I can add this to our list,

• “The darkness does not destroy the light; it defines it. It’s our fear of the dark that casts our joy into the shadows.” (The Gifts of Imperfection: Let Go of Who You Think You’re Supposed to Be and Embrace Who You Are)

So when someone we love is suffering and they ask us to “please remember to recognize the darkness and to be a light” they are not asking us to recognize something that is equal to the light. They are asking us to recognize the darkness so that the light can be defined. They need us to define that Light.

I wish it were as simple as to help them by leading them to the source of Light so the darkness will automatically disappear. The Light does cause the darkness to disappear (physics clearly says so, even I know that) but life is not as simple as physics.

But those of us living in the Light do not need to be afraid of the darkness, particularly the darkness that is engulfing the one we love. Darkness is always at the mercy of Light.

And you, dear friend, are a beautiful light.

Remember this from Nelson Mandela:

Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness, that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, and fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small doesn’t serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won’t feel insecure around you.