Articles
Rage Against the Dying of the Light
"Do not go gentle into that good night,
Old age should burn and rave at close of day;
Rage, rage against the dying of the light.
"Though wise men at their end know dark is right,
Because their words had forked no lightning they
Do not go gentle into that good night.
"Good men, the last wave by, crying how bright
Their frail deeds might have danced in a green bay,
Rage, rage against the dying of the light.
"Wild men who caught and sang the sun in flight,
And learn, too late, they grieved it on its way,
Do not go gentle into that good night.
"Grave men, near death, who see with blinding sight
Blind eyes could blaze like meteors and be gay,
Rage, rage against the dying of the light.
"And you, my father, there on the sad height,
Curse, bless, me now with your fierce tears, I pray.
Do not go gentle into that good night.
Rage, rage against the dying of the light."
"Do not go gentle into that good night," Dylan Thomas
This poem talks about death, how various types of people might reflect upon life in these moments, and how they should choose to act before the inevitable end. The theme is to live life to the best of your ability until the very end. Although this poem is about death, I feel the good night could also be applied to dark moments in general. Moments where it feels the light of life isn't there. Moments where we as people or a society start to not see each other as such.
Many people would say our society in this modern world has been spiraling down, and with the recent events in this country many people are scared and split on how they feel about each other. As people, and especially as Christians, it is our job to not go gently into these dark times. And we accomplish this by remembering that we are not of this world, but we are like Christ (Colossians 3:1-11; 1 John 2:4-6).
We should at least be good people, but more importantly than that, we have the choice to be saved people. And for those of us who are already saved, we need to act like it. You could or have had your sins forgiven and your eyes open to a love you could never imagine to exist, a love that would help you see the beauty in this world even in its struggles. The world’s politics, the world’s fears, the world’s troubles and fate melt away (Romans 5:1-5).
We have God’s love through His word, His mercy, and His grace. Once someone becomes a Christian it is their job to show that love, mercy, and grace to the world. Could you imagine or picture a better life than this (Matthew 18-20)?
We must not forget that we have to be there for those who are scared. We are the light of the world, and we are supposed to shine like it says in Matthew 5:14-16. We have to remember that the sins of this world are what make it dark. When we forget about who our true enemy is, we need to remember that it is Satan. Although he tempts us, we can resist him because God and His love is always with us (1 Corinthians 10:13). Whoever is reading this, whether you believe yet or not, God cares about you and loves you with all His heart. Being baptized in Him as a Christian, you can spread that love to others. Because as Christians we fight Satan and hate sin in this world, but we are not to hate the sinner (Matthew 5:43-48).
As a Christian it is not our place to pass judgement but to teach and show the world by example, as Jesus showed us through His example. It is with love and encouragement, it is with the hope and the strength God gives us, that we can act in a way that would be pleasing in His sight (Colossians 3:23). And when we act pleasing in His sight, our eyes become clearer and our hearts are opened to this beautiful world He has created. The world will always be crazy but we can choose to let it be less so. So I ask you all to remember to not go gentle into that good night.
