“Clouds and darkness are round about Him…” – Psalm 97:2

A few years ago, I visited Dubai and got an opportunity to go for a traditional Arab open-air social event deep in the desert.

Then at a certain point during the night, the lights were switched off.

It was so pitch dark that you couldn’t see your hand.

Then the master of ceremonies instructed everyone to look up to the sky.

Sounds of ‘wow, wow, wow’ echoed across the desert.

Above us in the sky was an incredible blanket of twinkling stars.

All of us, especially the tourists from Europe and America, confessed that they had never seen so many stars.

Then one of the people around me said something I will never forget: “You need the darkness to see the stars.”

In other words, the starts are always there; however, we can’t see them because of the sunlight.

Yet, a considerable proportion of the populations (estimated at 7-10%) suffers from ‘nyctophobia’ – the fear of darkness or being in dark environments – so much that some can’t sleep if the lights are off.

But did you know that darkness is so important that life on earth would virtually come to an end if there was no darkness?

During the dark, plants, on which all life depends, start using the stored sugars and oxygen to enable growth especially the flowering and the making of starch for storage.

Additionally, darkness is of considerable economic significance to humanity.

“God reveals the deep and secret things; He knows what is in the darkness.” – Daniel 2:20.

Some industries such as photography and radiography depend on darkness.

In our meditation today, the poet says; “Clouds and darkness are round about Him.”

Of course, we all don’t not like to associate with the idea of God being surrounded by ‘darkness.’

However, the imagery of darkness is used to convey a sense of mystery and enigma around our God.

His nature and ways are beyond human comprehension.

His true essence is beyond full human understanding; it is beyond knowledge and His ways are unsearchable.

While on one hand He is omnipresent and active in our lives, in the Church and in the world, there is also an aspect of God being hidden or mysterious.

This description of God is an invitation for us to enter into a sense of reverence and awe towards God’s divine character, highlighting the complexity, mystery and depth of God’s nature.

In man’s own wisdom, he can’t fathom God; His nature and character must only be understood through ‘apokalupsis’ (revelation) – the divine communication of the knowledge of God to the soul.

As Daniel said: “[God] reveals the deep and secret things; He knows what is in the darkness” (Daniel 2:20).

When it comes to the things of God, it is not necessarily a disadvantage for us to be ‘in the dark.’

Even in our ordinary lives, it often takes dark times – times of trial – to reveal the divine virtues and of course our true character.

There are treasures and riches to be found in our times of darkness and in God’s secret places!

The prophecy of Isaiah to Cyrus said; “I will give you the treasures of darkness and hidden riches of secret places, that you may know that I, the LORD, Who calls you by your name, I am the God of Israel” (Isaiah 45:3).

So, you shouldn’t fear the ‘darkness’; instead, keep your spiritual eyes open.