Incandescent Lucidity

I was reading Hugh MacLeod’s book through for the second time yesterday and came across that beautiful phrase in the preface. Man, if Hugh uses a phrase like that in the preface you know you’re in for some great stuff in the rest of the book!

I like the phrase for a couple of reasons. First of all, being something of a wordsmith myself, I just like the way the phrase sounds. Very cool. All those delicious syllables.

But even more, I like the meaning. “Incandescent: glowing, white with heat, brilliant or masterly.” And then there’s “Lucidity: the ability to see things clearly, rationally, the quality of being easily understood.”

So put ’em together and you’ve got a picture of the right trail to follow not only becomes clear, but glowing and white with heat! Wouldn’t that be something? You say, “Lord show me the way!” And the right path lights up! How cool would that be!

But as much as I love the phrase and as much as I would love the clarity, I am not called to walk in clarity.

And neither are you.

We are called to walk in faith. You remember faith…that crazy principle where we’re required believe WITHOUT seeing. Faith…that one ingredient we’re required to have if we actually want to please God.

Face it. This is a walk of faith we’re on. There will be times (many times) when the path ahead will not light up. It won’t be obvious. You simply won’t know if you’re right. You’re going to have to take it by faith. So, we may pray for incandescent lucidity but we know in reality, we’ll be walking by what we don’t see.

Don’t wait until you see clearly. Be brave enough to take the step not knowing.