"The Dark is Rising"

The Dark is Rising

Several years ago, when Kara was in junior high school, she started reading some books at the library. One afternoon she brought one of the books to me, the first in a series, and said (I’ll never forget this!), “Mom, I think you ought to read these books.” We talked a bit further and I realized that what she was reading really bothered her, so I took the first book and began to read. The series is called The Dark Is Rising, by Susan Cooper. The books are excellent, catch your interest immediately and keep it till the end of the book, all are very well written, for young people around junior high school age. BUT they are totally pagan and tear Christianity to shreds. Actually, a more exact description would be, they make Christianity look so weak that it is unable to do anything at all, like a weak old man on his death bed, while the power of Merlin (returned to us in our modern age) and others like him will save the world against the Dark that is Rising. Kara read the whole series, I read the whole series, and we spent several hours over the course of the next few weeks discussing what we had read. I was wise enough then to realize that forbidding her to read them would be a mistake – she probably would have read them any way sooner or later. With my reading them, too, and taking the time to actually discuss with her the contents and philosophical views of the author, we had time to strengthen both of our faiths in new ways. And I became very aware of a battlefront for our children’s minds and hearts that I had not realized was happening.

During that time period, several well meaning Christian friends were up in arms over a variety of issues. Homeschooling vs public schooling. Humanism. Secularism. Some were even in the beginning stages of realizing, well after the fact, that the New Age philosophies and beliefs raging through our society might be a real danger. I mentioned to several of my Christian friends that these books were in the library and that their kids might be reading them. I don’t think a single person took me seriously. I know for a fact that kids did read them because I worked in that library for over three years and I saw what they were reading. (Why is it that Christians are so very slow to catch up with the World when it comes to these kinds of things? We tend to be so busy fighting little skirmishes that we fail to see the huge battle raging right in front of our eyes until it smacks us in the face on the way out the door. We are still reeling from that smack, trying to find some way to fight back against that old news, and fail to realize a new and different battle has begun right below our nose.)

I’ve thought about those books many times since then. I’ve been reminded by those memories that I need to keep my eyes open, my mind educated about what is really going on around me. It is so easy to become distracted by the happenings of every day life, to get bogged down in living, in doing ministry, that I do not take the time to look around me at what is happening. Oh, I am well aware that there is a war going on in the Middle East. I am well aware that China is rumbling to the east. I am well aware that our country is falling to pieces. I hear bits and pieces about what is going on in the Church right now and how it is becoming more and more pagan. But how often do I sit and really think about why this is all happening? Not often enough!

I am living in a period of time where all of history is shifting. I tend to think of history in chapters. I open to Chapter One of my history book and read about the evolution of man. I turn the page and read Chapter Two, all about ancient Egypt, Greece and Rome. I turn another page and read Chapter Three and learn about the Crusades. And so forth and so on. But history is not like reading a book, like turning a page and quietly a new era begins and everyone is happy (or else dead by then). No, history does not roll on like the turning pages of a book, or even the quiet waters of a peaceful river. No, history is quite different. If what is happening in history all around the world right now was an earthquake, it could not be measured on the Richter scale – mountains would fall into the sea, the earth would crack open, fire would be spewing from open fissures. History is active, alive, violent. But most Christians are totally unaware and go on about their daily lives as if nothing was happening at all.

The Dark really is Rising. Jesus himself said in the four Gospels that the coming history would be violent (Matt. 24:4-30). Paul told Timothy that in the last days terrible times would come – and he was not writing about earthquakes, hurricanes, and volcanoes. Paul was writing about what society and life among human beings would be like.

Almost a century ago a terrible anti-God government took over in Eastern Europe – the Soviet Union. Seventy years later that government fell, to the cries of joy among Christians throughout the world. Yet, I am watching something happen that I never expected, not in my wildest dreams. “Freedom” and capitalism in this part of the world can be compared to sugar and warmth added to a bowl of yeast (evil) and water (opportunity). Not only is the Dark Rising here, it is growing by leaps and bounds, so fast it is hard to keep up with it all. Rather than using freedom and capitalism to help others, powerful men and women are using it to get rich quickly and gain even more power over others. I’ve written about what is happening in Odessa, but was reminded today of what is going to happen here in Kherson if the Dark has its way – Kherson will become the Las Vegas or Monte Carlo of the Black Sea. What little beauty communism left, capitalism will destroy in capitalizing on mans greed and sexual appetites. The plans have been made, it is only time that is needed for the earthquake sized changes to take place. Meanwhile most of the Church is unaware that there is anything wrong. Most of the church in America is too busy entertaining itself to death to really care about what is happening half a world away. After all, we “won,” didn’t we? Communism is dead! Long live capitalism! (What happened to the Gospel???)

Just a few years ago our country was attacked by members of an evil religion. Our president declared war on them and two countries were “liberated.” Yet – the fighting continues, and will probably continue for many more years. Christians rejoiced that Iraq was now “free,” but forgot that “capitalism” in one country is not quite the same thing in another. Only time will tell about what history will look like in Iraq, good results or evil.

For now, I pray for Ukraine. The Dark is Rising here – is anyone aware???