Soul Formation through the “Dark Night”
How God uses Seasons of Darkness to Grow Our Faith Stephanie Nance, D.Min with Sue Reeve Sensing the Darkness Have you ever felt like your soul was thrust into a dark, desolate place? You couldn’t pinpoint anything you had done wrong, but God felt distant. Still, with every fiber of your being, you knew God had not abandoned you. Times like this for a Christ-follower are often called a “dark night of the soul.” The term “dark night” originated from a poem written by St. John of the Cross, a 16th century Spanish Roman Catholic priest, mystic, and Carmelite friar who described "dark night of the soul," as a period of spiritual and emotional distress experienced by Christians on their journey toward God. John believed it is a natural part of spiritual development during which God works passively within as a way to grow one’s soul. Dr. Stephanie Nance Explains the “Dark Night:” In March 2025, I attended the Sherpa Training Intensive in Baltimore, Maryland. My friend and fellow Sherpa Cohort 1 graduate, Dr. Stephanie Nance, one of the Intensive trainers, made an excellent presentation, “Soul Formation through the Dark Night.” I was both informed and encouraged since I believe I may have been traveling through a [...]