Martin Luther King
said, in 1963: “Darkness cannot drive out darkness, only light can do that,
hate cannot drive out hate, only love can do that”. We wanted to know what MLK,
a Christian preacher, meant by this, so we interviewed Father Pégourier, a Catholic
priest.
Can you tell us what light represents in the Christian religion?
Light represents God.
In his gospel, Saint John tells us: “In the beginning was the Word, the Word
was with God and the Word was God. All the things were made by God. In him was
life, and the life was the light of men. And the light shines through the darkness,
a light that darkness cannot overpower.”
Jesus represents good
and therefore light. Darkness represents evil. There is an opposition between
good and evil. When we talk about divine light, we talk about the light of God,
which lightens the darkness and brings forth goodness.
When God spoke to Catherine
of Siena (cf. the Dialog of Catherine of Siena), He describes light as emanating
from His Divine nature, and light as being the light of grace.
Could you please explain what Martin Luther King meant when he said:
“Darkness cannot drive out darkness, only light can do that. Hate cannot drive
out hate, only love can do that.”
We cannot beat evil
by using evil means; our action would be in vain. This is why we need light,
the light of God, to chase away bad things. The light of God lightens our world
and shows us the path we have to follow… Only love can drive out hate because, as
it is written, we have to love each other including our enemies. Hate is the
fruit of sin and only God can forgive all our sins. Jesus died for humanity and
for the sake of the human race. Love is a conquering force; negative things give
way to love…
Why do we associate light with good and evil with darkness?
Humans are afraid of the
dark because they can’t see the potential dangers. Light is a natural thing
that makes us see and therefore avoid the dangers. Light, contrasted with the
dark, is associated in people’s mind with safety. Light becomes an obvious symbol
we associate with the force for good that is God and darkness becomes
synonymous of evil. Light is used to brighten the world, to guide us, to lead
us on the path of righteousness, up towards heaven.
Is the meaning of light different from one religion to another?
Light is in fact a
universal symbol; in all religions, it represents the divinity and is
associated with righteousness and well-being.
Is there any way to escape darkness other than through light?
If escaping darkness (sin)
means seeking the Truth, only our Lord Jesus can light our way, because only He
is the True Light.
Philosophers have dedicated their lives to bringing us new ideas and trying
to change the world. In your opinion, can their ideas be associated with the definition
of light you have given us?
Many philosophers
question God’s existence, saying the world must have a rational explanation.
Faith, which enables us to understand that the True Light is divine, does not, by
definition, need reason.
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