Confusing Darkness that Leads to Light

Ron Rolheiser

“Mystics such as John of the Cross call this experience of seemingly losing our faith a 'Dark Night of the Soul': We used to feel God's presence with a certain warmth and solidity, but now we feel like God is non-existent and we are left in doubt.  This is what Jesus experienced on the cross and this is what Mother Teresa wrote about in her journals.

"And while that darkness can be confusing, it can also be maturing: it can help move us from being arrogant, judgmental, religious neophytes to being humble, emphatic men and women, living inside a Cloud of Unknowing, understanding more by not understanding than by understanding, helplessly lost in a darkness we cannot manipulate or control, so as to finally be pushed into genuine faith, hope, and charity."

Wrestling with God