Be a Light in the World
A field of light, and my need to say that it exists. Each morning I walk here almost blinded by water the sun shines on… —Jeanne Lohman
It’s a delicate balance and a great responsibility to bear the world in our light, to exhibit another way of being in the midst of insanity. We get it, we know it in our hearts, but do we really feel it in every fiber of our being. The urgency and the nesting in us of the pure message of love, compassion, and joy is stirring. Of course the light of which I’m speaking is that to which St. Augustine refers to as:
[T]he light that never changes, above the eye of the soul, above intelligence.
Like balancing on one foot on demi-point on a board walk is no easy task, such is the life of discovery on this planet. What appears impossible, and perhaps defying gravity is made possible with prayer and practice. A constant tension that is both physical and spiritual and yet, filled with moments of exhilarating awe which gushes into every cell of our being and purifies our spirit with the kind of love that is unutterable.
What a sensation if we are open to receiving it and allowing it to flow through our bodily senses with an attentiveness to our presence in the Presence. This is recognizable in eye contact, in touch, in a smile. Or as William Blake muses:
To see a World in a Grain of Sand and Heaven in a Wild Flower, hold Infinity in the palm of your hand and Eternity in an hour.
And yet, what seems so simple, a change in thought, transforming a reaction to an action of love and compassion, or wiping a child’s tear in a gesture of pure kindness creates a softness in our being that sends reams of light outward. We are the channels of these acts, but of course, not solely through our own volition. The constant attention to our expressions on earth are the stories of miracles, healing, and indescribable generosity in times of difficulties. These may appear as mere accidents in a world of total self-absorption, but, I don’t think so. We have to look for them, create them, and be awake enough ourselves to participate in what are often unrecognized acts of the will of God.
Maybe, this is what Rich Villodas is saying when he writes:
To have a good, beautiful, kind life — one formed by love — requires us to extend our faith beyond the borders of our private emotions and spiritual concerns. We are called into a larger story, one characterized by participation in God’s kingdom. It’s the kind of participation that drives out passivity.
And it doesn’t require anyone’s permission, just a receptivity to the grace that is abundantly given us.
Naive? Perhaps. Then let me live in naivete!
What the caterpillar calls the end of the world, the Master calls a butterfly.
— Richard Bach
Thank you for sharing this insight.
Some years ago I looked it up: the word Naief, because I was often named to be naief. It means (in my words) that one is open and receptive to receive all the tellings of life ... It's indeed not easy to stay open when darkness shows up ... untill all the colors of darkness start shining and illuminate the beauty of it. Lovely piece, thank you for writing and sharing this.