Our cause is never more in danger than when a human, no longer desiring, but still intending, to do our Enemy’s will, looks round upon a universe from which every trace of Him seems to have vanished, and asks why he has been forsaken, and still obeys.

C.S. Lewis, “The Screwtape Letters”

Anyone who has studied history has likely heard the story of Pompeii, Italy. Preserved remarkably well beneath volcanic ash, this Roman city is a window into the life of an extinct civilization. Seeing this site is amazing for so many reasons, from the mosaics to the frescos to the courtyards. My most spiritual experience, however, was sparked by one of the plaster castes found in the ruins.

When Mount Vesuvius erupted, the volcanic ash piled around everything in Pompeii, including human bodies. Over time, the bodies decayed, but the space in the ash remained, making a crude “mold.” Years later during the excavations of Pompeii, plaster was poured into these human “molds,” creating castes that show the very position that Pompeiians were in at the moments of their death.

One of these castes touched me deeply.

This picture doesn’t capture how this person must have felt on that fateful day; honestly, neither does the caste. I think researchers have done a lot to learn about those people captured in these castes, but I can’t remember any details about this person. The seated, hand-clasping position is what draws me to them.

In an hour of intense darkness and fear, this person sat down and held their own hand. As I observed this caste, I wondered what they would have been thinking and doing. Were they praying? Pleading? Were they too scared to breathe? Were they hoping it was all a dream?

There is something so human in this position. Looking at this final moment, I felt myself transported there. I couldn’t help but think that, if I was there, I’d probably be doing the exact same thing.

As I’ve reflected on my experience in Pompeii, I’ve thought about the problem that religion seeks to solve. Overall, faith in a higher force is for all of us that sit in darkness, waiting for hope. From what I understand, the point of religion isn’t for control or escape or whatever else the world might think (though these might end up as secondary goals). Instead, I think that religion’s aim overall is to give people purpose and direction in the darkness of their worlds.

How do you get through dark times?