Dark Shadows

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I've always feared darkness. As a child, I couldn't keep my head beneath the bed blankets for very long without a flash light. I'd see evil things lurking in the shadows of my room at night, and refrained from ever going outside alone under the stars. And, while working the night shift for a big part of my career, I learned even more reasons to fear the dark.

I don't think it's very odd to be afraid of the dark. I think most of us are. But darkness comes in many forms. It's a place or a means for evildoers. Whether a place to hide from pursuers, to conceal an identity, plan an attack, or to do your thing alone, it's all dark. A closet, a cave, a costume, a disguised voice, or as an imposter, darkness is a tool to be used by ones that have something to hide.

But darkness comes in many forms. Terrorists thrive in caves, as smugglers thrive in tunnels, as criminals thrive at night, as rapists lurk in bushes, as armies advance under the cover of clouds, as a submariner sinks a ship, as a panther stalks his prey, as a Jihadist begins in a mosque, as a magician wears a cloak, as the mafia propagates from a smoke filled parlor, and as an adulterer operates from that dungy motel, there are reasons to fear darkness.

So fear darkness. Recognize that it is a means of deception. Know who is in the closet or behind the curtain. Know who authored the article you just read. Know who that talk show host really is. Know who wrote that blog. Know your leader before you follow him. Know the school you attend and the church you support. Know whether he is a scammer or is truly one begging for help. Know your investment counselor, and your butcher. Know your neighbor and know who really is behind that mask.

For to know these people is to better understand their motives, and the better you understand, the safer you will be.
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