Navigating the Dark Tunnels

I love Holy Week. The visual and daily readings of the passion of Christ put the believer in the thick of the crucifixion experience, reminding us of the amazing sacrifice of which we are the recipient.

I thought I had seen everything. But this year, I attended my first Tenebrae on Good Friday eve at a Bible Church . What a powerful experience!

According to Wikepedia, “Tenebrae” is Latin meaning shadows or darkness . A Christian service in the Western Church , it is celebrated in many ways from Roman Catholic to Episcopalians to Protestants. The common denominator involves a gradual extinguishing of candles while readings and psalms are chanted or sung.

If you haven't attended one, you must. At the climax of the performance Jesus moves toward the crucifixion. As the candles are extinguished, one by one, the auditorium is left in total darkness. The significance of the extinguished light is not lost on the attentive audience.

What a visual picture of a spiritual truth. Without the light of Christ to permeate the dark, all truth and hope are blotted from view – total darkness.

I don't know how many of you have ever been in total darkness. I have, and it is scary.

There is a train in Europe that runs between Austria and Italy . For a fee, a car can make a reservation that takes a shortcut through the mountains, on the back of a flatbed train. In the convenience of one's car, a train carrying its load, winds through a dark tunnel. Much like a ferry on water, the windy mountain drive is shortened by hours.

I knew that tunnels were dark. But inside the car, on top of that flat bed train, I wasn't prepared for such darkness. At one point I insisted that we turn the light on inside the car just so I could get my bearings. The whole experience was disorienting.

Isn't that how we are in the middle of the spiritual journey? When we are in a dark place, it is darker than we anticipated. Yet God is the engineer of our train. With his skills and omnipotence, he can navigate us through any tunnel. We just have to trust, knowing that we are in good hands, for he has promised light at the end of the tunnel.

While in the tunnel, disorientation often takes over. In that case, there is only one thing to do. Turn the light on, reorient ourselves, and look for the light at the end of the tunnel. Only by turning on the power are we able to find our way.

What a good word for the 21 st century, especially for mothers and grandmothers.

As I've moved onto the grandmother track, I find that, if I let myself, the totality of this current darkness that we call the world, would overwhelm me. The tunnel that will impact my children and grandchildren for years is ahead, and the train is moving forward at breakneck speed. And I have no way to stop it.

The world is, indeed, a dark place. Only through Jesus and the indwelling of his Holy Spirit will light come back into this place. With God's grace and his plan for redemption, Jesus was, indeed, crucified and raised from the dead. With his resurrection power, those of us, who are his, are the lights of the world today. We are his hands, eyes, feet, and mouth. No matter how small our effort, we bring his light into the darkness.

The dilemma for me as a grandmother lies in how to do this. I've seen a lot. I know a lot. Clearly I have a voice, but it will only go so far. When one doesn't see, one doesn't see. Discernment and prayer seem to be the best options. Seeking the Lord in all things, and speaking up when led, my grandmother influence can make a difference.

As the Lord sends his sheep out among wolves, only by listening to the heart of the father am I able to help the lambs who have been placed in my care, even in the darkest of tunnels. And make no mistake. The tunnel is darkening. But unlike the Tenebrae, the Christ light will never be extinguished because he has risen.

So here's to flatbeds, tunnels, light, and stepping into the will of God. Salvation secures a reservation on the flatbed train. God himself will navigate its way through the tunnel. As Engineer he will light the way. We need only receive and switch on the light.

As permanent rider and passenger we can each take responsibility for seeing that our kids and grandkids have a ticket. Sharing the good news of the gospel, witnessing to our own testimonies and experience, help encourage the generations behind to make reservations on the train. No amount of darkness can extinguish this eternal light.

All aboard! Full Steam ahead! The train of light is on the move! What a great message for our children and grandchildren!

Marty Norman is a wife, mother, and grandmother, who lives in Fort Worth , Texas . She is the author of “Generation G – Advice for Savvy Grandmothers Who Will Never Go Gray.”