The Use of Daylight--and Darkness

“In the beginning…” it is written “the earth was without form and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters. And God said, Let there be light: and there was light. And God saw the light, that it was good: and God divided the light from the darkness. And God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night.”

It seems significant that one of the first recorded acts of the creator was to divide the light from the darkness. There are many phases of this thought that could be considered, but we should like to turn to one sidelight of the subject: because men have found the mechanical means of lighting the night in a limited way, there appears to be an ever-growing tendency to recognize less and less the difference between night and day, perhaps especially among young people who seem to extend their activities to an ever yet later hour, and to go out to begin an evening’s activity at about the hour when some of us were once expected to come in.

But no matter how successfully men have lighted up limited areas of the earth, there is still a difference between day and night, and there are still safeguards that are essential to the safety and virtue and peace and protection of people.

And there is still consideration due to parents who have an obligation to see that those for whom they are responsible are safely in, without having to wait and wonder at all hours.

And there are still matters of health and safety to consider. A man cannot burn the candle at both ends without shortening the effective length of life. He cannot run both day and night and think to the best of his ability. And he cannot in the distortion of darkness make the safest decisions. The decisions of life should be looked at in the light.

Of course there are some pursuits and some essential services that are required around the clock, and there are some who must turn the night to day to render such services, But despite all such exceptions it is still true that the day is the safest time for decisions, for work, and for being about. And it is still true that deeds of darkness tend to be done in the dark.

The Lord God “called the light Day, and the darkness He called Night,” and there is still a distinguishing difference between the two.