Faith, let’s be clear, is not always a straight and illuminated path. There are moments when the spiritual journey is marked by doubt, darkness, and inner desolation, and we find ourselves navigating a sea of doubts and uncertainties. In the Christian tradition, this experience has been lived by all people of faith, and a great saint, John of the Cross, found the right words to define it, having experienced it firsthand. He called it “the dark night of the soul.”
Faith as struggle and surrender
When the “light” goes out, when the heart crosses a desolate desert filled with nothing but silence, and the God who had attracted, captivated, and comforted us until that moment seems to have disappeared, we have reached an important turning point in our spiritual lives. We discover that believing involves a “struggle” that cannot be fully understood or mastered. This inner struggle is an integral part of the journey of faith, a struggle between seeking God and the difficulty of accepting His distance and His mystery. Believing involves both resistance and surrender, recognizing that the living God is a “consuming fire,” other than ourselves. “Surrendering” to the mystery is an opportunity to question our certainties and draw closer to God in a more authentic way.
Seeking God in darkness and desolation
The “dark night” is not only a time of difficulty, but also a place of encounter with God. Today we are accustomed to finding immediate answers on Google, but the “dark night” challenges us to look within ourselves, to seek God in inner silence. Turning off the smartphone and rekindling the soul: this is the real challenge. It is in the poverty of the cross, in dying to ourselves, and in the night of the senses and the spirit that we can find a deeper connection with the Lord. God does not reveal Himself, in fact, in the ease of possession, but in the willingness to lose ourselves, to lose all our points of reference, in order to find Him again.
The prayer as a tool for struggle and hope
Prayer becomes essential in these moments of darkness. Indeed, praying means entering into an intimate and sincere dialogue with God, even when we do not have the right words. No “filter” is needed to beautify our soul: God loves us for who we are, with our fragility and imperfections. Prayer is certainly not an easy answer to our questions, but a subversion of every question we ask, opening us to God’s “touch”, which surpasses all our expectations. Prayer is the quintessential experience of wrestling with God.
The dark night as the place of the mystical wedding
Saint John of the Cross called it “noche oscura”, a place of mystical encounter with the divine, the place of the mystical wedding, where the soul unites with God in a love that transcends rational understanding. Darkness thus becomes the place of hopeful faith, believing love, and hope that believes and loves. Today we can see it as a moment of inner renewal and personal transformation on the journey of faith, a moment to let go of false illusions and embrace the true essence of faith, even if it hurts.
Finding the light after the “blackout”
Even in the darkest night, it is important to keep alive our desire for God and hope for a new beginning. Even when faith goes into “blackout”, we must not lose hope. As the Psalm says, we must “awaken the dawn”, wait confidently for the return of the light, knowing that after the night a new day always comes and that God never abandons his children.
The “dark night” is not a defeat, but a necessary passage for growing in faith. Let us face it with courage, without being afraid to doubt and question ourselves. Only in this way can we rediscover the beauty of an authentic relationship with God, a relationship based not on ready-made certainties, but on trust and love.
Despite difficulties and confusion, faith can also blossom in silence and darkness, transforming the night into an opportunity for growth with and in God.
Have you already faced a moment of “spiritual darkness”? We look forward to hearing about your experience in the comments!
