February 13: God Dwells in Darkness
No one will ever grow deep in the spiritual life unless God works passively in that soul by means of the dark night. St John of the Cross
Gregg’s Reflection
In my own spiritual journey, I’ve walked through seasons of light and shadow — times when God’s presence felt vivid and near, and other times when it seemed absent, even withdrawn. These “desert” seasons used to unsettle me. Over time, I began to notice a pattern: God often seemed closest in my early years of faith, showing up with reassurance and encouragement. But later, the experience shifted — His presence felt hidden, and my spiritual enthusiasm waned.
It was Thomas Keating who gave me language for this reality. He described it as a natural movement in the spiritual life: the “springtime” of early devotion eventually gives way to a deeper work. We find consolations often early in our journey. Then God withdraws to a deeper level, and the consolations cease. God is inviting us to move beyond a shallow faith to a deeper relationship. He illustrates it in his book Intimacy with God with this image.
God invites us into the dark night, not as punishment, but as a way of building endurance, humility, and trust. In this process, the Spirit goes “downstairs” into the depths of our soul, working in hidden places we cannot yet reach ourselves. When the consolations fade, we’re invited to keep going — to walk by faith rather than sight. It is in this quiet, sometimes barren space that a deeper union with God takes root. The very absence we feel is often the space where God is doing the most intimate work. Light shines in the darkness during a total eclipse of the sun.
Scripture
Moses entered the darkness where God dwelled.
Exodus 20:21
Ancient Quotes
No one will ever grow deep in the spiritual life unless God works passively in that soul by means of the dark night… He weans us from all of the pleasures by giving us dry times and inward darkness.
John of the Cross, RENOVARÉ Spiritual Formation Bible, notes on Job, p. 766
If a man is to be sure of the road he travels, he must close his eyes and walk in the dark, so that he may be safe from the enemies that dwell within his own house—his senses and faculties.
John of the Cross, Dark Night of the Soul, Book II, Chapter 16
The soul that is attached to anything, however much good there may be in it, will not arrive at the liberty of divine union.
John of the Cross, Ascent of Mount Carmel, I.11
Modern Quotes
Our deepest and earliest wounds seem to be the most tightly repressed… After our springtime, graces are withdrawn… What God has done in this instance is simply “gone downstairs” to a more intimate place on the stairs, where he is waiting for us to join him at a new level of maturity and trust.
Thomas Keating, Intimacy with God, p. 53–56
Journaling Prompts
- Have you experienced a time when God seemed distant or silent?
- When have you found God in a season of darkness?
- How does it change your perspective to believe God is present there?
- What practices help you lean into God’s presence when you cannot see the way?
👉 Go deeper into this week’s theme:
Read the full Week 7 Reflection: Dark Night / Cloud of Unknowing