The Light That Blinds: When Power Creates Darkness ~ Moral Clarity in an Age of Injustice
"Fragile Moment" by Simoni Symeonidou
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OPINION
We live in the light. We live in the shadows.
“Much light” speaks to the spaces within our culture where people are seen thriving—places others aspire to reach. People clamor to be in the light. However, that bright light creates shadows—not necessarily spaces of darkness, but spaces where people often go unnoticed, neglected, or even abused.
While attending a recent conference, I had the pleasure of listening to presentations and conversations among practitioners with deep experience mentoring men working through very challenging circumstances—both in the light and in the shadows.
One of the speakers in his younger life had worked at Chuck E. Cheese for several years, but today leads a nationally recognized organization operating in several cities. Because life happens, he stated that it took seven years to earn his bachelor’s degree. He moved from the shadows into a good light.
Another speaker, who has executive-level responsibilities, came to serve at the conference to assist the organizer. He remarked that while his current life keeps him in the “suites” (the light), he makes it a priority to stay connected to the “streets” (the shadows). That statement stayed with me and inspired this article.
It occurred to me that this statement best exemplified the type of life we should live. It also reflects the character of Jesus, who always lifted up people in the shadows more than those in the light. It is very interesting that our culture—including much of church culture—does the opposite. We live in a celebrity culture, which is all about gravitating toward people who appear to be living in the light.
There is also the phenomenon that much light creates deep shadows. This is not a condemnation of celebrities, as many of those same people use their celebrity to help others. But there are others within our culture, living in the light of wealth and power, who build self-serving systems that create not only shadows but darkness.
When people do not have the benefit of understanding life from both the suites and the streets, they lack the capacity to know how actions and policies affect others.
The word “myopic,” in the figurative sense, describes such behavior: Someone who is narrow-minded or lacking foresight—focused only on the short term or immediate concerns, and making decisions based solely on self-interest.
From a public-policy perspective, political leaders have a great responsibility to understand the effects of their decisions on people outside their circle of light. One of the attributes of good politicians is possessing a mindset of public service. The worst mindset for a politician is self-service, or serving only like-minded citizens and special interests.
One of the good features of a healthy democracy is that those who win elections do not view others as defeated enemies but as fellow citizens—especially when no victory margin is absolute. I recall, as a young man, when politics were not as polarizing and the party that did not gain a majority characterized itself as the "loyal opposition.”
The Supreme Importance of Agency
What is important for people—especially those who feel overlooked or disrespected—is to develop and maintain something called agency.
Agency is the ability or power to act, make decisions, choose, and make things happen—to influence your own life and environment rather than being controlled by others or by circumstances.
One of the unfortunate outcomes of how systems affect people—or the manner in which people are treated—is the purposeful reduction of their sense of agency. One of the worst examples of denying people agency, as of this writing, is immigration enforcement policies targeting so-called “criminal illegal aliens.” The Supreme Court has authorized ICE agents to detain people based only on the appearance that they may resemble an undocumented person. Worse still is the presumption that someone, by his or her appearance, may be a criminal. This policy, initiated under the Trump administration, supported by Republicans, Christian nationalists, and upheld by the Supreme Court, has resulted in the arrest and traumatizing of untold numbers of United States citizens, as well as honest, hard-working persons who may not be citizens.
There is no worse example of denying a person agency than failing to respect a person’s (citizen or not) right to due process and protection from unreasonable search and seizure. This breach of our Constitution exemplifies how people in the light can create deep shadows—and even darkness—for their fellow humans. It is in effect, a form of ethnic cleansing from a cultural and religious perspective.
Much of this activity bears a disturbing resemblance to the early days of Nazi Germany, when the sense of nationalism and existential threat drove a populist movement that fueled Adolf Hitler’s rise and eventual election. While Hitler was democratically elected, he immediately moved to dismantle the checks and balances of democracy. This assertion may seem extreme, but it is a point of view in describing methods being employed by the current president and some political leaders in the United States today.
As of this writing, in my state of Indiana, the Republican governor and the supermajority of Republicans who control the House and Senate are engaged in redistricting and gerrymandering to reduce the influence of racial minorities and Democrats, with the intent of increasing their political majority and minimizing the impact of a fully representative democratic process. This same practice is ongoing in Republican-led states across the USA.
The Attack on Personal Agency
Many people in the light are forcing others into the shadows by stripping away their agency and imposing hardship. This includes reducing benefits that aid the poor, threatening free speech, reducing the influence of Black and Latino people, and redirecting funding to traditional public schools in order to transfer taxpayer funds to private schools attended primarily by families who can afford tuition. All the while, they claim that government should be smaller. It is clear that “small government” is not the true objective; rather, the goal appears to be a government designed to serve the majority while keeping minority populations in the margins.
Ultimately, there is a movement to create not only an oligarchy of a few, but a structure of white dominance—intended as a bulwark against the inevitable changing demographics of our nation. I would argue that the true intention of mass deportation policies targeting the nation’s fastest growing ethnic group, Latinos – appears designed to reduce their numbers and prevent them from attaining majority status.
This is not unlike the 19th century, when populations of enslaved people reached into the millions, potentially contributing to majorities of Black populations in some southern states. These arguments make sense when you understand that the ideology of white supremacy has never truly disappeared from the United States. People in the light who are not motivated by serving others wish to maintain their status at any cost. These are instances where this type of light creates deep shadows for others.
The Dark Shadow of Christian Nationalism
~ Authority and order: It frequently supports strict gender roles and strong “law-and-order” policies (law enforcement historically focused on controlling “others”), viewing these as divinely mandated.
“Where there is much light, the shadow is deep.” ~Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
We live in the light. We live in the shadows.
“Much light” speaks to the spaces within our culture where people are seen thriving—places others aspire to reach. People clamor to be in the light. However, that bright light creates shadows—not necessarily spaces of darkness, but spaces where people often go unnoticed, neglected, or even abused.
While attending a recent conference, I had the pleasure of listening to presentations and conversations among practitioners with deep experience mentoring men working through very challenging circumstances—both in the light and in the shadows.
One of the speakers in his younger life had worked at Chuck E. Cheese for several years, but today leads a nationally recognized organization operating in several cities. Because life happens, he stated that it took seven years to earn his bachelor’s degree. He moved from the shadows into a good light.
Another speaker, who has executive-level responsibilities, came to serve at the conference to assist the organizer. He remarked that while his current life keeps him in the “suites” (the light), he makes it a priority to stay connected to the “streets” (the shadows). That statement stayed with me and inspired this article.
It occurred to me that this statement best exemplified the type of life we should live. It also reflects the character of Jesus, who always lifted up people in the shadows more than those in the light. It is very interesting that our culture—including much of church culture—does the opposite. We live in a celebrity culture, which is all about gravitating toward people who appear to be living in the light.
There is also the phenomenon that much light creates deep shadows. This is not a condemnation of celebrities, as many of those same people use their celebrity to help others. But there are others within our culture, living in the light of wealth and power, who build self-serving systems that create not only shadows but darkness.
When people do not have the benefit of understanding life from both the suites and the streets, they lack the capacity to know how actions and policies affect others.
The word “myopic,” in the figurative sense, describes such behavior: Someone who is narrow-minded or lacking foresight—focused only on the short term or immediate concerns, and making decisions based solely on self-interest.
From a public-policy perspective, political leaders have a great responsibility to understand the effects of their decisions on people outside their circle of light. One of the attributes of good politicians is possessing a mindset of public service. The worst mindset for a politician is self-service, or serving only like-minded citizens and special interests.
One of the good features of a healthy democracy is that those who win elections do not view others as defeated enemies but as fellow citizens—especially when no victory margin is absolute. I recall, as a young man, when politics were not as polarizing and the party that did not gain a majority characterized itself as the "loyal opposition.”
The Supreme Importance of Agency
What is important for people—especially those who feel overlooked or disrespected—is to develop and maintain something called agency.
Agency is the ability or power to act, make decisions, choose, and make things happen—to influence your own life and environment rather than being controlled by others or by circumstances.
One of the unfortunate outcomes of how systems affect people—or the manner in which people are treated—is the purposeful reduction of their sense of agency. One of the worst examples of denying people agency, as of this writing, is immigration enforcement policies targeting so-called “criminal illegal aliens.” The Supreme Court has authorized ICE agents to detain people based only on the appearance that they may resemble an undocumented person. Worse still is the presumption that someone, by his or her appearance, may be a criminal. This policy, initiated under the Trump administration, supported by Republicans, Christian nationalists, and upheld by the Supreme Court, has resulted in the arrest and traumatizing of untold numbers of United States citizens, as well as honest, hard-working persons who may not be citizens.
There is no worse example of denying a person agency than failing to respect a person’s (citizen or not) right to due process and protection from unreasonable search and seizure. This breach of our Constitution exemplifies how people in the light can create deep shadows—and even darkness—for their fellow humans. It is in effect, a form of ethnic cleansing from a cultural and religious perspective.
Much of this activity bears a disturbing resemblance to the early days of Nazi Germany, when the sense of nationalism and existential threat drove a populist movement that fueled Adolf Hitler’s rise and eventual election. While Hitler was democratically elected, he immediately moved to dismantle the checks and balances of democracy. This assertion may seem extreme, but it is a point of view in describing methods being employed by the current president and some political leaders in the United States today.
As of this writing, in my state of Indiana, the Republican governor and the supermajority of Republicans who control the House and Senate are engaged in redistricting and gerrymandering to reduce the influence of racial minorities and Democrats, with the intent of increasing their political majority and minimizing the impact of a fully representative democratic process. This same practice is ongoing in Republican-led states across the USA.
The Attack on Personal Agency
Many people in the light are forcing others into the shadows by stripping away their agency and imposing hardship. This includes reducing benefits that aid the poor, threatening free speech, reducing the influence of Black and Latino people, and redirecting funding to traditional public schools in order to transfer taxpayer funds to private schools attended primarily by families who can afford tuition. All the while, they claim that government should be smaller. It is clear that “small government” is not the true objective; rather, the goal appears to be a government designed to serve the majority while keeping minority populations in the margins.
Ultimately, there is a movement to create not only an oligarchy of a few, but a structure of white dominance—intended as a bulwark against the inevitable changing demographics of our nation. I would argue that the true intention of mass deportation policies targeting the nation’s fastest growing ethnic group, Latinos – appears designed to reduce their numbers and prevent them from attaining majority status.
This is not unlike the 19th century, when populations of enslaved people reached into the millions, potentially contributing to majorities of Black populations in some southern states. These arguments make sense when you understand that the ideology of white supremacy has never truly disappeared from the United States. People in the light who are not motivated by serving others wish to maintain their status at any cost. These are instances where this type of light creates deep shadows for others.
The Dark Shadow of Christian Nationalism
White Christian nationalism is both a political ideology and a cultural identity. It blends elements of nationalism, Christianity (particularly the politically conservative, White-centered version of Protestant Christianity), and a belief that the United States was founded as—and should remain—a distinctly “Christian nation.”
It is important to note that the nation was founded while enslaving people made in God’s image and likeness. This evil could have been excluded at the founding, yet it was embedded into the very structure of the nation. Such practices were utterly inconsistent with the character of Christ, but intentionally aligned with that distorted version of Christianity.
Core Beliefs of White Christian Nationalism
~ America as a Christian nation: Advocates claim that the U.S. was founded on biblical principles and should privilege Christianity in law, culture, and governance. Yet enslaving fellow humans (particularly Africans) was considered part of their so-called “biblical principles.”
~ White cultural dominance: It assumes that “real” American identity is tied to European ancestry, often sidelining or excluding people of color, immigrants, and non-Christians.
One of the deceptions of (White) Christian nationalism is the belief that the influence of its version of Christianity is beneficial within world systems. The Framers of the Constitution knew from firsthand experience that this notion was an illusion. Merging church and government in England, where the monarch is also the head of the Church, demonstrated over centuries that there is no form of integration between church and state that benefits either institution. In the worst cases, a king who was despotic and cruel also possessed religious authority that compelled subjects to obey without question.
Today, the British monarchy has changed, adopting a constitutional form of government in which the monarch is head of state and generally not directly engaged in politics or religion. He or she is more of a figurehead and an emblem of stability. For these reasons, they have maintained their monarchy while avoiding despotism or authoritarianism.
Therefore, it is ironic that in the United States of America—a nation founded to reject authoritarianism through the instrument of self-government, in the words of Abraham Lincoln, formed “of the people, by the people, and for the people”—has become subject to an tyrannical and authoritarian president who does not respect the constitutional concept of three co-equal branches of government: judicial, legislative, and executive. By his actions, he demonstrates a desire to be a king. This is the worst kind of light, casting the darkest shadows.
Light Without Shadows
There is good news: The light of God does not cast shadows. Jesus said His disciples are the “light of the world.” (Matthew 5:14)
This is a light that does not cast shadows because it is not integrated within the systems of this world. Jesus said that God's kingdom is not of this world (John 18:36). In contradiction to Jesus, Christian nationalism asserts that God's kingdom can function within the world's kingdoms as a controlling influence. This is demonstrated by all the ways in which they seek to integrate their version of Christianity within civil government. This proves that they practice a version of Christianity that has nothing to do with Jesus.
The Apostle John wrote, “This is the message which we have heard from Him and declare to you, that God is light and in Him is no darkness at all.” (1 John 1:5)
In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it. (John 1:4–5)
Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning. (James 1:17)
The light of God shines from “above” into darkness, so it is not possible that God's light is shining from below through governments and systems of this world, including the United States of America.
As Christ followers, our mission is to serve people in an imperfect world, win souls to Christ, and be faithful to God’s kingdom. As citizens, we participate in our democracy, elect competent people, and seek to influence public policy for the betterment of all citizens. Again, there's no merging of light with darkness or merging God's kingdom with the kingdom of the United States. The present day attempt to merge the two is not only unconstitutional, it is a grievous Scriptural error.
“For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light... And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather expose them.” (Ephesians 5:8–11)
Avoid and Embrace
So, within our perverted social and religious environment, we must re-awaken to the purposes of God. We must avoid the lesser lights that create shadows and embrace the light of God that casts no shadows.
~ Bryan Hudson, D.Min.
Today, the British monarchy has changed, adopting a constitutional form of government in which the monarch is head of state and generally not directly engaged in politics or religion. He or she is more of a figurehead and an emblem of stability. For these reasons, they have maintained their monarchy while avoiding despotism or authoritarianism.
Therefore, it is ironic that in the United States of America—a nation founded to reject authoritarianism through the instrument of self-government, in the words of Abraham Lincoln, formed “of the people, by the people, and for the people”—has become subject to an tyrannical and authoritarian president who does not respect the constitutional concept of three co-equal branches of government: judicial, legislative, and executive. By his actions, he demonstrates a desire to be a king. This is the worst kind of light, casting the darkest shadows.
Light Without Shadows
There is good news: The light of God does not cast shadows. Jesus said His disciples are the “light of the world.” (Matthew 5:14)
This is a light that does not cast shadows because it is not integrated within the systems of this world. Jesus said that God's kingdom is not of this world (John 18:36). In contradiction to Jesus, Christian nationalism asserts that God's kingdom can function within the world's kingdoms as a controlling influence. This is demonstrated by all the ways in which they seek to integrate their version of Christianity within civil government. This proves that they practice a version of Christianity that has nothing to do with Jesus.
The Apostle John wrote, “This is the message which we have heard from Him and declare to you, that God is light and in Him is no darkness at all.” (1 John 1:5)
In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it. (John 1:4–5)
Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning. (James 1:17)
The light of God shines from “above” into darkness, so it is not possible that God's light is shining from below through governments and systems of this world, including the United States of America.
As Christ followers, our mission is to serve people in an imperfect world, win souls to Christ, and be faithful to God’s kingdom. As citizens, we participate in our democracy, elect competent people, and seek to influence public policy for the betterment of all citizens. Again, there's no merging of light with darkness or merging God's kingdom with the kingdom of the United States. The present day attempt to merge the two is not only unconstitutional, it is a grievous Scriptural error.
“For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light... And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather expose them.” (Ephesians 5:8–11)
Avoid and Embrace
So, within our perverted social and religious environment, we must re-awaken to the purposes of God. We must avoid the lesser lights that create shadows and embrace the light of God that casts no shadows.
~ Bryan Hudson, D.Min.
