Post tenebras lux. A Latin phrase which is the root of all great stories. In what way? And what does “post tannebaum lax” mean? Post is a word we all know to mean “after.” We have post-production and we have post-credit scenes at the end of superhero movies. Tenebras does not mean “Christmas tree” (the German word for “Christmas tree” is tennebaum). It actually translates to the word “darkness.” While, lux translates to “light.” Not “lax,” as in lazy or relaxed. When we place the three words together, coherently, we get: After darkness, light.

After darkness, light. Contemplate those words. Together in such a sentence, they are one of the most beautiful sentences in the written word. After darkness, light. This means that there is never a darkness thick enough to douse the light. The light will always penetrate and engulf it completely. After darkness, light. Think of your favorite story… have you got it? Did the characters go through dark challenges? Of course, they did! That’s part of what makes a great story. Was it dark toward the end of the book? Probably. Maybe, your worst fears for the character came about. Yet, this is the million-dollar question: did it end dark? Now if you’ve thought of one book in a series of books, I want you to think all the way through the story. Did it end dark? I certainly hope not! The best stories end with light. When the hero breaks through all obstacles that have been thrown at him or her and they “live happily ever after.” Now in the real world, it doesn’t stay “happily ever after” for very long, even if we do have moments. However, post tennebras lux still applies to life. Because if we endure through even the darkest of situations, we can still find the Light. Isn’t Christ the Light of men?