Light in the Darkness

Read Time:6 Minute, 59 Second

By William Van Zyl – Published on October 1, 2025

Inside the Dark Belly—Suffocating

A massive python loomed before her; its body coiled in menacing silence. The dark, diamond-patterned scales shimmered like living obsidian, pulling her gaze into their hypnotic rhythm. Her eyes traced the serpent’s length, each curve dragging her deeper into its spell. On the wall of the snake’s intestines, she sees sketches of her tarot cards, her Ouija board, the covers of her self-help books, and her astrology maps. She gasped—beneath the vast black belly, shadowy figures moved. People. They are trapped, hidden, swallowed by darkness.

Her breath quickened. She lifted her eyes, breaking free from the serpent’s terrible grip. And there—rising above the horizon—a blazing yellow sun burst forth, flooding the scene with searing light.

——0——

A large python is facing her. Jennifer Clayton had spent years chasing every promise of inner peace she could find. Crystal therapy, sound baths, reiki, astrology, spirit guides—her shelves at home were crowded with incense sticks, decks of oracle cards, and stacks of self-help books. Each practice offered a momentary flicker of relief but left her feeling emptier than before. Instead of finding peace, she felt herself sinking deeper into a strange heaviness—an invisible darkness that enveloped her life.

On a crisp winter morning in Wellington, New Zealand, Jennifer stepped into a small museum known for its modern spiritual art. She had come on a whim, seeking inspiration—or maybe, secretly, deliverance. Her eyes were drawn immediately to a striking painting, large and alive with symbolism.

The upper right-hand half of the canvas blazed with radiant white and gold. The Sun, painted with intricate rays of light, dominated the scene—a symbol of Jehovah, the Light of God. Around it grew lush greenery, dotted with vibrant flowers—a world of joy, peace, and hope.

But on the far left and beneath it, the canvas shifted dramatically.

There, coiled in the shadows, a massive python slithered across the bottom. Its scales were painted with eerie criss-crosses, and along its belly, the artist had depicted three figures caught within its body—faces pressed against the skin, eyes wide with despair. Two small bulges swelled like trapped souls suffocating in total blackness.

IMAGE: The complete painting on the museum wall. A dark black python is contrasted with a ball of light and a colourful garden around it. See the people in the belly of the python (white coloured people in a blue coloured tummy (Credit: The Author). Oct 2025. Acrylic and oil on Plywood.

ARTWORK: Close-up of the belly of the python.

ARTWORK: Close-up of the Light with a vibrant garden around it.

Jennifer’s heart began to pound. She stepped closer, gripping the edge of the display rope. “That is me,” she whispered. “That is me!” Her voice trembled. “I feel like a dark force has swallowed me. I’ve lost my joy… my peace…”

A tear slid down her cheek, glinting in the gallery’s soft light. She didn’t care who saw. She pressed her palm to the glass and whispered again, “How do I get to the Light?”

A warm voice came from behind her. “Do you like the painting?”

Startled, she turned. A tall man with kind eyes stood there, his hands tucked gently into his coat pockets.

“I… It’s me,” she stammered, holding her head in her hands. “It’s me in the painting. Dark forces have swallowed me.”

The man nodded slowly, compassion shining in his eyes. “My name is John Baptiste,” he said softly. “I’m the one who painted this.”

Jennifer looked at him and asked intently, “Why… why did you paint it like this?”

He stepped closer, lowering his voice as though sharing a secret. “Because it’s true. Many of us are caught in darkness. But there is a way to the Light.”

He paused, his tone tender yet firm. “Jesus said, ‘I am the Light of the World. All you who are burdened, heavily laden with sin, come unto Me and I will give you rest.’”

Jennifer stood still, his words wrapping around her like a warm breeze. For the first time in years, something stirred inside her—something more substantial than despair. A spark. A glimmer. Perhaps even a beginning.

The Message Behind this Story

Like Jennifer, many people search in countless directions for peace, healing, and purpose. Yet the dark forces of life—sin, fear, hate, and turmoil—often leave them feeling trapped, just like the figures in John Baptiste’s painting.

But the painting also tells a greater story: the Sun, representing the Light of God, shines above it all. It offers freedom, joy, and life to those who step out of the darkness and into His presence.

Jesus said, “I am the Light of the world: he that followeth Me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.” (John 8:12 KJV)

No matter how far someone feels swallowed by darkness, there is still a way out. There is Light. And that Light is Jesus Christ.

I leave you with this powerful reminder in song and word: “He will rescue you. I WILL SEND OUT AN ARMY, and I will rescue you.”

Link to video: https://youtu.be/gYR0xP1j4PY?si=szrlieQHWLjtuVV1

The Lyrics of the song by Lauren: RESCUE

You are not hidden

There’s never been a moment

You were forgotten

You are not hopeless

Though you have been broken

Your innocence stolen

I hear you whisper underneath your breath

I hear your SOS, your SOS

I will send out an army

To find you in the middle of darkest night

It’s true, I will rescue you

There is no distance

That cannot be covered

Over and over

You’re not defenceless

I’ll be your shelter

I’ll be your armour

I hear you whisper underneath your breath

I hear your SOS, your SOS

I will send out an army

To find you in the middle of darkest night

It’s true, I will rescue you

I will never stop marching

To reach you in the middle of the hardest fight

It’s true, I will rescue you

I hear the whisper underneath your breath

I hear you whisper you have nothing left.

Credit: Lauren Daigle

Dead man walking, out of the shadows, on the way to the gallows…I thought it was over; then I heard Him call my name…(Lauren Daigle).

A Prayer for Those in Darkness

Lord Jesus,
This world is filled with hate, confusion, and turmoil. I feel swallowed by darkness—by fear, by sin, by despair. Yet Your voice still calls: “Come unto Me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden.” Jesus, I acknowledge You are the true Light of the World. Forgive me, Lord, for chasing after false lights that leave me empty. Break the chains of darkness and lift me into Your peace.

Shine Your love into every corner of my heart. Replace my hate with Your love, my turmoil with Your calm, and my despair with Your hope. Draw me out of the evil python’s grip. Draw me into the joy and peace of Your presence.

In Your holy and precious name, Jesus, I pray.
Amen.

A Step Toward the Light

If you prayed this prayer—or if you long to—know this: Jesus hears you. His words are not distant or symbolic; they are alive and true. The Light of Christ shines for you even now.

Take your first step today. Open a Bible and read John 8:12. Find a Christian friend, pastor, or church community who can walk with you. Don’t stay in the shadows any longer—the Light of Jesus is waiting, full of love, peace, and hope.