One day when the residents of New England woke up, they quickly noticed a darkness seeming to descend on their community. As the early morning gave way toward noon, it became noticeably dark. By 2:00 p.m. the cows headed back to their barns and the night birds came out. It was May 19, 1780. They lit more candles and oil lamps; people began to fear that judgment day was at hand. According to one Boston newspaper account, “a portentous omen of the wrath of Heaven in vengeance denounced against the land … the immediate harbinger of the last day, when the sun shall be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light.” The unexplained darkness lasted about 19 hours, with no stars visible in the night sky. There was no solar eclipse that day. It would be more than a century until the probable explanation was found—a ferocious Canadian forest fire mixed with clouds and fog had sent ash and soot across New England. The traumatizing day left its mark.
Faced with a visible doom, some people raced for refuge into churches to make their peace with God. Some just cowered in fear. In Connecticut, when legislators considered ending their session early, Councilman Abraham Davenport proclaimed. “If it is the end of the world, I want to be found doing my duty.” How are we supposed to respond when deep fear shows up on our doorstep? Physical danger calls for quick actions to get out of the way and cries for help to others. Circumstantial crises, like money, food, jobs, or health changes call for availing of community resources. Emotional and spiritual fears call for wise counsel. I suggest that admitting or naming your fear is the healthiest first step. Step two is opening the door of faith. Step three is to invite God to help you dig deeper to uncover what may really be the issue at hand. Ask yourself what you are fearful of and why are you so afraid. Things that trigger our fears are wrapped in many emotions.
The reality is that many would like to “claim faith” when confronting fearful things, yet they do not really trust that God is trustworthy. Jesus teaches us to Take up your cross daily. Trusting God and being obedient is our daily spiritual battle. Jesus faced it in the garden of Gethsemane. We must find our confidence in the Lord before faith can overcome our fears. The darkest day in New England ended, but the light revealed there was still a mess of cleanup to do. And no one alive that day ever knew why the darkness came.
Keep healthy. Pray mightily. Enjoy your life today. Our God is trustworthy. And let’s experience the love and power of God together.
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