I Have Called the Darkness Friend

I Have Called the Darkness Friend

You call me dramatic; you say I speak in fear,
But you weren’t there beside me when the darkness drew near.
You haven’t heard the whispers dressed in promises of light,
Or watched a thing that seemed so good reveal its face at night.

You think I sound excessive when I tell you, “Turn away,”
But you don’t know what I know, and I know what I once praised.
I have walked where shadows gather, I have welcomed what I feared,
I have called the darkness friend before the truth appeared.

I know how evil dresses when it wishes to be adored,
How it borrows pretty language and conceals a sharpened sword.
How it offers you a kingdom while it slowly steals your crown,
How it teaches you to worship what will only drag you down.

I know the thrill of seeking what I should have left alone,
Of mistaking chains for power, of calling bondage home.
I know how lies can sparkle when your heart desires to see,
And how something promising freedom can become your enemy.

So do not mistake my warning for a fear I’ve never faced;
I am not speaking of shadows I’ve never seen or traced.
I have seen the other side of what the world calls harmless fun,
And I know that what looks golden in the dark may come undone.

I have watched the counterfeit parade itself as truth,
And I know how deception finds its easiest prey in youth.
I have learned that not all glitter is a treasure from above,
And not everything that feels like peace is born of holy love.

So when I speak of darkness, understand the weight I bear;
These are not imaginary monsters hiding everywhere.
I will not invent a devil just to make my story sell,
But I will not call a prison safe because it’s painted well.

You may laugh at my convictions; you may roll your eyes at me,
Say I’ve traded sense for sermons, lost my mind, or lost my peace.
But I’d rather be called foolish while I tell you what is true
Than be praised for staying silent while the darkness reaches you.

For I remember what it cost me to believe the wrong was right,
To go searching for an answer where there was no holy light.
And I remember how the Savior met me there within my shame,
Not to leave me in the darkness, but to call me by my name.

Jesus didn’t come to decorate the chains around my soul;
He came to break them into pieces, He came to make me whole.
He didn’t teach me how to coexist with what had held me bound;
He led me out of darkness, set my feet on solid ground.

Now the lips that spoke of shadows speak of mercy, truth, and grace;
And the heart that once sought power found its peace in Jesus’ face.
I have no need to glorify the pit from which I came;
My testimony isn’t darkness—it’s the power of His name.

So call me overdramatic. Say I’ve gone too far again.
You weren’t there to see the darkness that I once had called a friend.
I don’t warn because I hate you, and I don’t speak to condemn;
I warn because I know the road, and I know where it can end.

And if my voice sounds urgent, it’s because I’ve learned to see
That the things we entertain can steal the peace we long to keep.
I will never claim perfection, but one truth I’ll testify:

I know what held me captive.
I know who heard my cry.
I know the One who freed me.
And I will not testify
That chains are harmless jewelry,
Or darkness is just night,
When Jesus Christ has brought me out
And taught my soul to walk in light.