64 Days of Darkness

Barrow is the northernmost village in America's largest state, Alaska. In winter the sun does not rise above the horizon for 64 days. That's just over two months of darkness. Can you imagine that. Nine weeks without daylight.

To compensate, and I use the word loosely, for this period of darkness, Barrow receives almost three months of continuous daylight in summer. 84 days without a sunset.Obviously Paul was not thinking of the Alaskans when he wrote, 'Be angry but do not let the sun go down on your anger.' (Ephesians 4:26) In Barrow, you can stay mad at someone for 12 weeks if you want to. With a population of only 4000 people, I bet there are some serious grudges going on.

When the Bible talks about day and night, and light and dark, it often has nothing to do with the actual rising or setting of the sun. Light is a metaphor for goodness and darkness is a metaphor for evil and ignorance.

We have been, are being called, out of the darkness and into God's marvelous light (1 Peter 2:9) to be children of the light.

Barrow, Alaska may endure extended periods of darkness, but much worse is the permanent spiritual darkness in which so many people live, and worse still, many people choose darkness because they are afraid of the light. The residents of Barrow don't have a choice about the physical darkness which nature thrusts upon them. We, as moral people with free will, do have a choice whether to walk in the light or in the darkness.

Photo sources:
http://faculty.gvsu.edu/hollistr/Field%20Experience%20Pages/Barrow.html
http://www.wunderground.com/wximage/martingrumet/29?gallery=