In a recent morning mediation with Panache Desai, he spoke these words.
There is only Light. You are Light. There is no darkness; only that
which has yet to be revealed as the Light.
These words descended upon me as known Truth that resonates with my entire being. I welcomed them into my conscious mind and paused to ponder these words more deeply.
As I contemplate, I begin to examine the experiences of life that have felt like darkness, sometimes unbearable darkness. Without minimizing the power our thoughts have in co-creating our lives, I consider too, the experiences that result out of the consciousness of the collective. These are often the places that I feel darkness most profoundly.
As I look upon my world, I, like everyone else, see so many people experiencing homelessness. I also sometimes hear the voices of judgment rather than loving-kindness toward those who are experiencing homelessness. I hear words of condemnation for the addictions and mental health struggles that have opened the door to homelessness. I have heard some say “people choose to be homeless; they refuse help when it is offered”. In these moments, darkness descends in my heart.
Yet, when I look more deeply into this darkness, I cannot help but see a glimmer of light. Homelessness still touches a very tender part of my soul and there, in the darkness, rests the opportunity for humanity to show compassion, kindness, generosity, understanding and so much more. As the world offers love to those who are homeless, I see the brilliant light of the Divine emerge. As generosity and sharing of resources becomes visible, I look past those who judge the homeless harshly and I see the light once more. The more I focus on the light, the more I see light emerge from the darkness. Ah, yes, the law of mind action in its finest demonstration! With that thought, I do all that is mine to do to ease the suffering of those who are homeless and I wait as Light is revealed through the darkness.
While it is important to share our light in the world, I believe we can only share what is within our hearts. Thus, it is vital that we nourish and nurture the qualities of compassion, kindness, generosity, and of course love in ourselves. With that thought in mind, I tiptoe into the dark spaces of my heart to seek the light that wishes to shine through me. I seek to reveal the dark that has yet to be revealed as light.
There are numerous societal areas that wait for light to be revealed. Moving to an individual view, each of us has space or two or three or thousands that wait for light to be revealed. Any space that we feel anything less than love towards ourselves is awaiting the light. We live, at times, with fists clenched wondering why we are lacking in love, hope, or acceptance, when all the while, we only need to open our hands, our heads, and our hearts to receive all the finest gifts of life. Love is waiting for us with each and every breath.
As we carry on, sometimes denying the Truth of ourselves, we live small rather than living the largeness of the light glowing deep inside each of us. We call that light within all beings, the spark of divinity. I have noticed that for some people it isn’t a spark at all rather, it is an explosion of light!
As the light within is revealed, nurtured and permitted to grow, we become confident in who, what, and why we really are. We recognize and claim the truth of our existence as divine beings created in the image of Source. We are Source, the Divine, Spirit, God, whatever name you use, pressed into this life as magnificent and unique beings of Light. The divinity that is the light of us, is inherent in all beings and in all creation. No one or nothing is left out of the inheritance of divinity. The mere thought of this Truth takes my breath away.
We, each and every one of us, without exception, are worthy of love, joy, peace, and abundance of all the wonders of life. In fact, all of these gifts await us, we merely need to be open, willing recipients of our abundant good.
Realizing we are here to be expressions of love in our world, we begin to explore the many iterations of love and how we might show up as love each and every day. For many, many years, I have held true to the practice of inquiring “how might I be love today”. Each morning before opening my eyes, I give gratitude for the gift of a new day, I speak my prayers for the morning and I ask “how might I be love today?” In the moments of silence that follow, there might be a glimpse of inspiration or I may wait to see what opportunities are to be the presence of love in my day and show up “serendipitously”. Without fail, the universe reveals many opportunities to be the light of love each day. It may be simple gratitude or sharing time with a neighbor who might be feeling a little lonely. Opportunities to be the presence of love may show up as a young person knowingly or unknowingly needing the guidance of an elder.
Sharing our time, our gifts or talents, and our treasure is a sure way to allow our light of love to shine in the world. I have noticed time and time again that my favorite moments are those that fly under the radar, those acts that may go unnoticed by the masses. Nothing I have done in this life has made it to a magazine cover, or a radio spot, yet each and every day I know love’s light shines. Love shines in a “good morning” greeting, opening the door for another, a smile along with a “thank you” and the myriad of seemingly tiny moments of each and every day that make our hearts warm with the radiance of love.
Love and blessings,
Rev. Karen