This week, our lectionary reading takes us to a familiar passage, particularly for Baptists. It is the nocturnal conversation between Jesus and Nicodemus. Taking place at day's end under the canopy of the stars, Nicodemus seems to be a bundle of nerves. We can identify. Once the sun has set, our minds can run wild with worry. We think about a troubled conversation we had earlier. We dread something facing us with the start of another day. Our imaginations take hold of us. Entering into the quiet darkness after a day filled with an abundance of noises and images, it's easy to be overwhelmed with questions, anxieties and fear. No wonder children fear the dark and the potential "bogeymen" it hides. And while all the threats that concern us grow more sophisticated with age, their presence grows evermore pronounced once the shadows lengthen and the sun goes down. Jesus speaks to Nicodemus of the presence of God, gifting us with physical life, yes, but also with life renewed, a life of the Spirit. Jesus invites him (and us) to challenge our fears with a deep and confident faith in a God who does not destroy, but who delivers, a God whose will it is for people to be saved, not to perish. Join us this Sunday as we think more deeply about the power this faith in Christ offers as we face our fears under the cover of darkness.