Tunnels

Symbolic of passages. A tunnel is a means of moving through an obstacle, from one side to another. These photos were taken at the Othello Tunnels in Hope. We visited there this past weekend.

Although it was a very sunny and bright day, within the depths of the tunnel, it was pitch dark. The literal 'Light at the end of the tunnel' was the only means of finding the way to the other end.

Today , I have been thinking a lot about passages. Not merely in the sense of walking through a space burrowed through the mountain.

When we come into this world, it is through a tunnel of sorts. It isn't often discussed, but I am certain that birth must be equally as painful for the newborn as it is for the mother. As the infant descends through the birth canal, its tiny head is squeezed out of shape to pass through to this world. From darkness to light. From the comfort and security of the womb, passing through that vice-like tunnel, the child is born in a rush of birth waters. Any mother will tell you, the pain and discomfort of giving birth is worth it. And the child, experiencing the trauma of birth, is soon comforted as it is cradled in the loving arms of its mother and father.

As we come into this world, so will we leave it. Many people surviving near-death experiences, say they felt as though they were passing through a tunnel with a brilliant light at the end of it. Often times with loved ones or Jesus seen in the light.

Is the passage out of this world similar to that by which we enter it? In dying, we leave behind the comforts of our beautiful world. Often times suffering in the way through that passage. Some tunnels are longer than others. For some, death comes quickly, and for others it is a longer process. But for all of us, I like to think that once the transit through that final tunnel is complete, we will find again, comfort, peace and security in the beauty of Heaven and rest happily in the arms of our Lord. Just as the infant does in its Father's strong and tender embrace.