By Briana Cramer

A friend shared this quote from Chieko Okazaki about being a light bringer to dark places: “Make the choice to be a light-bringer to dark places.” As I scrolled into the quote for a second time my mind filled with a vision of how hard it actually is to be a light-bringer.

People live in their lighted towns and homes. The light is exactly where they expect it to be and it doesn’t change. There are shadowed places but they don’t look at that. That’s negative thinking and one should always just focus on the light.

So nobody likes a light-bringer. Someone who moves light into unexpected places. Who shines away the shadows and says to others, look. There’s something here. Look, that is wrong. Look, here is a good thing. Different . . . and still good.

Most people will shun the light-bringer. Friends and family of the light-bringer often scold them and try to encourage them to stop. Some will even attack the light-bringer. But a few will see and understand the light-bringer. Their faith and support can help them keep going. Keep doing what they’ve been doing.

It is necessary and vital work.

But it is hard.

People share this quote and they like the nice flowers and sunshine. They love the idea of being a light-bringer without actually thinking on what that means and what a light-bringer has to face and has to do.

They have to walk into darkness in order to bring light to it.

They have to accept the unknown things that their light will reveal.

They have to face away from the stable, expected light.

They have to acknowledge that there is even any darkness at all.

Briana is a nerd who loves God, games, and getting along with people. She’s never quite fit the mold and decided to make her own instead. She’s a self-proclaimed paladin who believes in love, justice, mercy and, above all else, the God-given right to make your own choices.