Acts 9:1-9. Back in Jerusalem, Saul is still "breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord." He goes to the high priest and asks for letters to the synagogues at Damascus so that he will be free to arrest any men or women there who are following "the Way" and bring them back, bound, to Jerusalem. On his journey to Damascus with these letters, Saul is suddenly surrounded by a flash of brilliant light from heaven. He falls to the ground and hears a voice saying "Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?" When Saul asks who is speaking, the response is "I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting; but rise and enter the city and you will be told what you are to do." The men with Saul can hear the voice but cannot see who is speaking. When Saul gets up and opens his eyes he finds that he is blind, so the men lead him by the hand to Damascus where he is three days without sight, and does not drink or eat.

There's that three days of darkness again! Just like Jesus is three days in the tomb, three days of darkness always seems to precede an experience of deep and profound conversion or revelation. The darkness may be real, as in Saul's blindness or Christ's tomb, or it may be symbolic, such as the utter darkness of fear or despair. It is in this darkness that we really have the chance to think, to ponder our state and our souls, and to experience the overwhelming power of Christ and His mercy. It is here where we meet Him as he descends into hell. He is there for us, and He reaches out to us in this darkness.

When we are blind, we have nothing to be distracted by and we seek for the only source of light - Christ Himself! Without this period of darkness, we might never take the time or have the opportunity to really think or to really see, as we remain blinded by the world. We have to be divorced from all worldly attachments and busyness and be alone in the dark before we truly seek Him.

So this darkness is a blessing, even when it comes about due to a terrible thing, like blindness or despair. We must always be willing to look for the light in the darkness, though, otherwise we risk our darkness being eternal, rather than just three days.