Joining Forces

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bonding together, Holy Week, Jesus, light of the world, Palm Sunday, Passion, spiritual mystery, The Sophia Center for Spirituality

Today is Passion/Palm Sunday, when across the world people turn inward to consider the events of this cataclysmic week in the life of Jesus. Before beginning to consider what to write this morning, I “surfed” a bit on the internet where everything called me to consciousness of the enormity of the weeklong event that is just beginning.

I have always had difficulty considering the swiftness of change in the events from the triumphal entry of Jesus into Jerusalem to the crucifixion. Lately, however, with all the violence in the world that seems to erupt sometimes from nowhere, I have come to recognize the vagaries of human behavior and to accept that kind of bubbling up of change in emotional reaction in crowds. This year I have a sense of something shifting in myself and elsewhere in a different direction. The number of groups and organizations that are arising across the world for good purpose is increasing and the messages of such entities seem to be more and more similar, thus creating recognition, if not yet bonding together, for the benefit of the world both spiritually and materially (which at a certain level cannot remain separate).

For Christians it is the following of Jesus that moves us toward our neighbor in spreading light in the world. There is no better time to consider this truth and our part in it than this week. One of my stops this morning on the worldwide web was the site of The Episcopal Society of St. John the Evangelist where a quote from one of their recently deceased monks, Br. Eldridge Pendleton, captured my sense of what is afoot. He said the following:

Make no mistake about it. The events of Holy Week and Easter are not merely annual reenactments of the tragic events of the life of an important historical personage. This is spiritual mystery on its deepest and most cosmic scale.

May we all open ourselves to the power of this week and move toward oneness for redemption of the world.

The Word of God

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Christmas, John, light, light of Christ, light of the world, love, The Sophia Center for Spirituality, Word

John’s gospel speaks today – and always – of the Word breathed into the universe at the beginning. “What came to be through the Word,” John writes, “was life, and this life was the light of the human race. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.” We know this light to be the light of Christ, shining in our hearts. May our love be strong, trusting that the light remains for us and those we love, in spite of any darkness that may appear. And so it is on this Christmas Day.

Being Light

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darkness, daylight, Ephesians, God, John, light, light of the world, Lord, Scriptures, shining within, St. Paul, sun, The Sophia Center for Spirituality, transformation

On this day we begin the season of “daylight saving” by having decided at some moment in the past to say that 7:00AM is now 8:00AM in order that darkness will not descend upon us so soon tonight. It seems ironic that the Scriptures for today include (if reading the alternate “Year A’ texts) a strong directive from Paul’s letter to the Ephesians as well as a declaration before the gospel from John – both on the subject of light.

John declares, “I am the light of the world, says the Lord; whoever follows me will have the light of life.” (JN 8:12) Having the light of God shining within us is something to be desired and worked toward in our daily life. It’s as if God is promising to be a beacon – like a flashlight for us – which, if we only flip the switch to “ON,” will illuminate our path.

Paul goes even further in his command to the Ephesians and to us that we actually must become the light. No prepositional phrases for Paul about living in the light; rather, Paul says, “You were once darkness but now you are light in the Lord.” (EPH 5:8) For Paul, it seems that following the light of God is not enough. We, ourselves, must be transformed into that light. That’s an astounding statement if we really consider the depth of its meaning. Thomas Merton had a vision of what that might be like which he described as [people] all walking around shining like the sun.

Are we ready and willing to take the responsibility of lighting the way, being that beacon in concert with God?

 

 

 

 

 

 

Lighting the World

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candles, Christ, Christmas, Hanukkah, light, light of the world, love, Peace, synchronicity, The Sophia Center for Spirituality, world

Tonight there will be candles lit all over the world in celebration of light. In a wonderful coincidence (a happening of two things at once) not only will Christians celebrate the birth of the Christ beginning with vigil services in the evening, Midnight Mass, and/or celebrations tomorrow throughout the morning, but this year will also see tonight the lighting of the first candles as Jewish families and congregations begin the eight days of Hanukkah, the Festival of Lights, celebrating the dedication of the temple in Jerusalem.

As often happens, the above synchronicity has led me to the lyrics of two songs, the first which was occasioned during a phone conversation yesterday. Somehow in the midst of remembering “the good old days” of Peter, Paul and Mary, their song Light One Candle entered our conversation. Although we were not speaking of Hanukkah as they were in 1982, I thought of it this morning as the first verse begins: Light one candle for the Maccabee children…The punch line, however, the clear and emphatic theme that begins the chorus was our topic. P, P & M actually seemed to be pleading with the world as they sang: Don’t let the light go out! It’s lasted for so many years…Then as I began writing this morning, a second song – this one from England in 1977 – came to mind: Light of the world, shine on me, love is the answer…

There are all sorts of examples of what the word “light” can mean. For a great percentage of the world’s population one or the other or both of those songs hold great meaning. Whether we begin a celebration at our dinner table with the pure flame of a small candle or find ourselves clicking the flashlights on our iPhones in an audience of thousands of people swaying to words that call for peace, light is the metaphor whose underlying reality we most desire. Let us all light a light tonight, taking a moment to find peace in ourselves and then sending that peace out to our world.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Short Stories

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beatitudes, Jesus, light, light of the world, Matthew, salt of the earth, shine, The Sophia Center for Spirituality

Occasionally when I am rattling on about something, not coming to the point, I hear my father in my head saying, “Short stories!” and I know it’s time to summarize. This morning’s readings give me a clear opportunity to do so. In Matthew’s gospel, following the Beatitudes, Jesus makes comparisons, the crux of which says, “You are the salt of the earth…You are the light of the world.” (MT 5:13-16) He explains what those metaphors can mean for us but this morning I’ll leave that to your imagination as you ponder how you can become salt and light.

I’m led to add the last line of the gospel passage since it is heard twice this morning, first as the gospel acclamation and then as conclusion of the gospel message itself (for emphasis perhaps). Let your light shine before others, Jesus says, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your heavenly Father!

Enough said.

Take the Leap

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Jesus, light of the world, radiant dawn, The Sophia Center for Spirituality

For those of us in the northern hemisphere, today is the darkest day of the year and yet the readings for today fairly shout with gladness because of the closeness of the “Radiant Dawn” about which we sing, that is, the coming of Emmanuel (God-with-us). He comes, the Hebrew Scriptures say, “springing across the mountains, leaping across the hills” calling us to come to Him. And when Mary entered the house of her kinswoman, Elizabeth, the infant in her womb (John the Baptist) “leaped for joy” in recognition.

Today, the psalm refrain calls us to EXULT! and to “sing a new song to the Lord.” What is it, I might ask myself, about the coming of Christ into the world that will make my heart leap for joy? And how will that change my life in the world? He’s coming soon, so I need to prepare today to take that leap!