The Twilight Zone

The Twilight Zone, a television series by Rod Serling, was produced by CBS from 1959 to 1965. It was a thriller type of TV show that gave the viewer a chance to indulge his or her imagination to consider strange and eerie, even provocative ideas and hopefully leave them on the edge of their seat in suspense.

It was a unique genre of imaginative, supernatural and mysterious science fiction stories, that the recently invented, personal, in-home, audio/visual commodity called a television, brought directly into the home. The writer, Rod Serling was able to use the fantasy worlds he created and the irony he presented to make people think about the things he thought were issues for the country, things like racism, the danger of technology, prejudice, war, and how we deal with fears of the unknown. Each episode featured Serling himself saying, "There is a fifth dimension beyond that which is known to man. It is a dimension as vast as space and as timeless as infinity. It is the middle ground between light and shadow, between science and superstition, and it lies between the pit of man's fears and the summit of his knowledge. This is the dimension of imagination. It is an area which we call The Twilight Zone."

The term “twilight” is a term frequently used to refer to the time periods called dawn and dusk. When it is "twilight" it is not completely light out, but then it is also not completely dark either. It is said to be a most dangerous time for flying in an airplane or driving in a car due to lack of proper visibility. There is also a depth in the ocean called the "twilight zone," so named because like the period on earth before dusk and dawn, the light that is there is saturated with an element of darkness.

The oceanic twilight zone is a place where the waters are deep and living things must not only be able to survive cold, winter-like temperatures, but an elevated water pressure too. Also, there are not plants. This is because plants make their own food by the absorption of light, called photosynthesis, and at these depths, there is no light to support their life. There are life forms that live here, but the creatures that live in these waters are carnivorous; that means, they feed on the flesh of others.

An interesting thing about the carnivores that take up residence in the oceanic twilight world is that they exhibit a characteristic called bioluminescence. This is a biologically produced light, like the light of a firefly for example. These marine creatures also use the light they produce within themselves as a lure. Sometimes it's to attack and eat the unsuspecting traveler, other times it's a means of attracting a mate for sexual reproduction. This bioluminescence intrigues, even baffles oceanographers and many hours of research are devoted to learning about these animals and the light they produce, There are a lot of interesting, or shall I say, grotesque, creatures lurking in the waters, slinking about unseen and undetected in the oceans twilight zone.

The flickers and flashes of light predators use to trick unsuspecting prey has been the demise of many a fish. much the way that false religion is the demise of many a soul. Just because something looks good, doesn' always mean that it is. Learning to tell the different can be a very good lesson. Just because some religious philosophy seems to be about God, or Jesus at a glance, doesn't mean that is is. Perhaps this is why Jesus warned about a “light that is dark.” (Luke 11:35) If that "light is in you" ... is the "light that is dark"... then exactly how great is that darkness?

The saying, “all that glitters is not gold” speaks with wisdom and we could learn a little from the fishes in the deep blue sea. The lesson, something like: "All that flashes is not food for fish." Such a mistake can cost a fish a fin, or worse, his life. Likewise if a person does not know the true light from God, they can be spiritually decieved and such a mistake, could cost them their soul.

It’s no wonder that Jesus told his disciples he would make them "fishers of men." The gospel preached, the true light from heaven, saves men from murky waters, and shines true light into the darkness where there is only the hope that today, if you are lucky, you will not be eaten. Jesus saves us from the depths of despair. It may be a spiritual "twilight zone", until the return of Jesus Christ our Lord, until the Christians are called to walk by faith and not by sight and this in a world where lots of flashes and flickers would love to have our attention.

We are not under the power of darkness. (Colosians 1:13) We are children of the day, (1 Thess 5:5) and are to walk in the light as he is in the light, (Ephesians 5:8; 1 John 1:7) to be vigilant, (1 Peter 5:8) watchful and aware. After all, we have a sure word of prophecy that is like a light that shines in a dark place. (2Pe 1:19) And we have this treasure, this light of truth, Jesus Christ our savior, in us... in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us.( 2 Corinthians 4:7)