Andrew Underwood of Wilderness Ministry Institute continues to draw spiritual analogies from the 10 essentials of wilderness travel. Enjoy the incredible truth on how illumination can help us understand the power of God.
In college, I had the incredible opportunity to go on a multi-day cave expedition in a large cave system in Eastern Tennessee, here in the United States. I had been in a few “tourist” caves before, where there are structured pathways and permanent lighting; while incredibly beautiful, it wouldn’t suffice as a “caving experience.” Needless to say, I didn’t quite know what to expect, especially when it came to the realities of tight spaces, being cold and wet, and spending the night deep underground. The adventure was on as we passed through the iron gate that guarded the entrance.
TRUE DARKNESS IS UNCOMPREHENDABLE
As we crawled through the first passage and clicked on our headlamps, I realized for the first time that I was venturing into true darkness. Unless you have experienced it, the darkness that exists in a cave is not something your mind can really imagine on its own. When the headlamps are off, it is pitch black, you cannot see anything, not your hand in front of your face or the person sitting next to you. It is so disorienting that your mind actually starts to compensate by trying to generate a picture of what you think you are looking at. It is in this moment that you realize how powerful and vital to life light really is. If for some reason your light source broke or failed without a back or without others in your group, you would be trapped indefinitely and it wouldn’t take long for the hysteria to set in. While caving is an obvious adventure that you would want to pack a headlamp on, illumination should also be among the 10 Wilderness Essentials you pack, whether you are caving, heading out on a backpacking trip, or even going on a day hike.
CRITICAL CONSIDERATIONS FOR YOUR SOURCE OF LIGHT
As you pack, here are some things to think about:
1. Always check the working condition of your light sources before you head out. Be sure that all the equipment has fully charged batteries and works well.
2. Especially for multi-day expeditions, always pack extra fully charged batteries. The amount depends on the size of your group and the length of the trip.
3. For critical missions like caving, always bring extra light sources in addition to batteries.
4. Consider the type, conditions, and goals of the trip to assess the types of illumination that might be required or useful. For example, a large lantern might be really handy while car or base camping but would be impractical on a backpacking trip. Does it need to be waterproof, fit over a helmet, or will you be doing a lot of night hiking?
5. Lastly, even day trips have been known to not go as planned and many people have been caught without a light source. Don’t make the assumption that it won’t be necessary.
THE SMALLEST AMOUNT OF LIGHT BRINGS COMFORT
As the end of our first day of the caving expedition approached, I started to grow a bit anxious about what the “night” would be like sleeping in a cave. As you can imagine, it was a big topic in the group and I wasn’t the only one who was nervous but excited to experience it. It is hard to describe just how overwhelming the darkness of a cave really is. A cave is a fairly inhospitable place, which makes the darkness even more ominous.
To try and find comfort to rest and sleep seemed a bit daunting. I have never been so aware of the fact that light is so powerful against the darkness than on that first night. Just before bed, the leader of our group lit a single match and everyone’s faces were suddenly visible again. Even the smallest amount of light pushed back the “overwhelming” darkness enough that life could be made possible again. Think about the power of that!
What immediately came to my mind in that moment, were the words of the Father in the beginning of the Genesis, “let there be light”. God overwhelmed the darkness, pushed it back, conquered it, with light; to make a way for life to flourish. This is no doubt what John was ascribing to the life of Jesus when he said;
“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.He was in the beginning with God.All things were made through him, and without him was not anything made that was made.In him was life,and the life was the light of men.The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.” John 1:1-5
In the life of Jesus, through His death and resurrection, He has ushered in a new creation. That again, with the light of His life He has pushed aside the darkness to make a way for life to flourish again, that whoever believes in Him would not perish but have life everlasting. What an
incredible picture of the reality of the good news of Jesus!
So, the next time you click on a headlamp or fire up a lantern take a minute to realize the power of light in the darkness. Remember the words of Jesus, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”
incredible picture of the reality of the good news of Jesus!
So, the next time you click on a headlamp or fire up a lantern take a minute to realize the power of light in the darkness. Remember the words of Jesus, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”
REFLECTIONS ON ILLUMINATION
1. What are some other scriptures that talk about light and darkness?
2. What are a few ways you can use the experience of darkness to teach about those scriptures?
3. Take a few minutes to write out a small lesson plan, including when and where you could teach them.
