Post Tenebras Lux - a Short Story

Post Tenebras Lux is a Latin phrase. It means, After Darkness, Light. It was one of the rallying cries of the Protestant Reformation. But this short story isn't about the Reformation. It's about a man. Well, not one man, but three.

The man violently erupted, like a volcano hell bent on destruction. He blew up over something God knows he should not have. His love was being attacked, in a way. Someone was trying to move in, seeing in his love what the man saw. And who can blame him? For she is a rare gem.

The story of the man starts years before. The man has a history of failing. He finds ways to give in to the Darkness and lose. In fact, the Darkness beats him every time. The man has a history, and his history is failure.

The Darkness spews forth. He tells the man; you have failed repeatedly, and you will fail again. Every time in the past that I have challenged you, I have won. You will surely lose again.

The Darkness reminds the man that he himself has failed. The Darkness admits that he has brought temptation and chaos, but it is the man who has failed. The Darkness tells the man that he has failed twice in the eyes of the Lord.

I have brought you spite, and I have brought you abuse, and I have brought you terror and strife. I've even driven you to the point of suicide. I'm pretty good at this, and you are not, says the Darkness. I've even tried to destroy your children! And I think I've done pretty well!

The man cannot disagree. Life has been tough. The Darkness has wreaked havoc on him, and his children. The Darkness is a force to be reckoned with. The man submits. He cannot beat the Darkness. The Darkness is much more seasoned and smarter than he is.

The Darkness taunts the man. Where is your resolve? Where is your Savior? You are an unworthy servant! Your Christ cannot do anything! You, man, are weak! I own you! everything I have thrown at you; I have beaten you. I am undefeated. You have destroyed your life. You have desecrated everything Christ says is Holy. What makes you think that this beautiful gift of love that you have been given won't fail? Everything else in your life has failed. You, O man, will destroy this love. For I, the Darkness, will make sure of it.

The man despairs. The Darkness has won. The man is afraid. For the man sees that God has given him a wonderful gift. But the man also sees that the Darkness is right there every step of the way, trying to assert himself to destroy the gift.

The man cries. He falls asleep, despairing that he has lost to the Darkness yet again, and that by his eruption his love is gone.

The man awakes. This time he finds himself in the sanctuary of the saints. The gentle morning light refracts through the stained glass windows. It is beautiful. The man has his children with him. In the sanctuary, there are many saints, from very young to very old.

Another man appears. This is the second man. He is dressed in a white robe and a green chasuble, to mark the time of the church. This man is not the Christ, but he is sent by Christ himself.

The second man is the called and ordained servant of Christ, standing on his behalf.

Light emanates from the mouth of the second man in radiant glory. He proclaims: As a called and ordained servant of Christ, I forgive you all of your sins in the Name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.

The Darkness cowers. The Darkness has no power against this. The Light has driven out the Darkness.

The second man only acts as a servant. He acts on behalf of the third man. The third man is the Son of God, who was delivered up for our transgressions and raised for our justification. The third man is the God of the Universe, Jesus Christ. It is the third man, who is the second Adam, who gives the power to the second man. Yet the second man doesn't have any power in himself. It is only by the authority and power of the third man, Christ, that he is authorized to forgive.

More light comes forth. The second man teaches us about Christ. He tells us that only Christ can love perfectly, and that as a result, we are to love our neighbors. Christ is the Good shepherd. He is also the Good Samaritan. Only Christ can love perfectly. We fail. We need him. He gives himself to us.

The Darkness flees, once again.

The second man continues to act on behalf of the third man. He repeats the strong words of Christ, consecrating ordinary bread and wine to be the body and blood of Christ.

The man comes forward. Here is the true body of Christ, given into death. For you. The second man feeds the first, giving him Christ's body.

This is the true blood of Jesus Christ, shed for you for the forgiveness of sins. And the man drinks. 

The man is satisfied. The Light has driven out the Darkness. The Light has forgiven all of his sins; and his sins are too numerous to count. They are grievous and deserving of hell. The man has failed repeatedly. The Darkness reminds him of that, all too often.

Yet, the Light has forgiven him. His sins are driven away. The Darkness recedes.

Today, the Darkness cannot win. He is impotent against the Light. The Light has driven him out. The Light did so 2000 years ago on the cross and then was vindicated by rising from the dead. The Light continues to drive away the Darkness with his strong Word, given in word and Sacrament.

For today, the man may rest in peace and worry about nothing. Yes, the man has failed in the past. He has failed grievously. But today, the Light has driven away the Darkness. He has forgiven the man, and the man may rest in peace. His love knows this too.

All is well. Christ has won, is winning, and will win.

The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it. -St. John 1:5