Finding Joy

 Our holiday wishes usually contain messages of joy and peace.  We want everything to be merry and bright as we celebrate the Season of Light and look forward to the New Year with anticipation. This year, however. it is hard to ignore the great collective sadness that envelopes the world.  Covid 19 is causing deep heartache, as people grieve for loved ones lost to a merciless virus, and we isolate ourselves from family and friends at a time of year when we usually gather and celebrate.  If we are not experiencing economic hardship, we are painfully aware that many others are.

We may wonder: "is it possible to find joy at such a time"?  While we may not feel the elation of mood that comes naturally during happy circumstances, we can find the true joy that flows from within...the deep contentment that comes as a gift of the Spirit.  According to Galatians 5:22-23:

"the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control". 

Spiritual joy is a deep inner contentment that has little to do with outward circumstances and everything to do with our connection to the Divine. C.S. Lewis, in the book, Surprised by Joy, attempts to describe it: "Joy, (in my sense) has indeed one characteristic, and one only, in common with happiness and pleasure; the fact that anyone who has experienced it will want it again...I doubt whether anyone who has tasted it would ever, if both were in his power, exchange it for all the pleasures in the world. But then Joy is never in our power and Pleasure often is.” 

In truth, we often confuse joy and pleasure. We seek and experience pleasure in many different ways: food, alcohol and sex to name just a few. But all of these are just temporary fixes for our deep inner need for the joy that springs eternal, the joy that is beyond our circumstances and "never in our power".  It is a gift, freely given, and all we have to do is ask with open hearts and deep gratitude. As we do, we will see clearly the blessings that are right in front of us.

It is impossible to understand the suffering of the times we are living in, or to know the answers as to why a benevolent God would allow such pain.  The best we can do is be present in this moment, open our eyes and our hearts to all that we have to be thankful for, and ask God to let us be "surprised by joy".

Welcoming the Christmas Star

 Today is the Winter Solstice, which is the shortest and darkest day of the year, but also a turning point, as we welcome the Light of the World in our Christmas celebrations and look forward to gradually lengthening days ahead.

This year, there is a special astrological event happening on the Solstice-the conjunction of Jupiter and Saturn, which hasn't occurred in 397 years.  These two planets have been orbiting closer together this autumn and will be separated by just .01 degrees tonight, right after sunset, so that they will appear as one bright "Christmas Star". 

 Scholars have theorized that the Star of Bethlehem, followed by the wise men to find the location of Jesus's birth, was very likely to have been a Jupiter and Saturn conjunction as well.

Does this have special significance?  Many believe it does and that we are entering a period of great global change.  This afternoon, at 1:22 EST, I will be taking part in a global peace meditation, the aim of which is to usher in a new era of love and light.  I invite you to join me by sitting in silence, lighting a candle and praying for the Light of Christ to enter into minds and hearts and transform a darkened world. 

The unique challenges and difficulties of 2020. according to the theory of great cosmic change, have been the process of our collective emotional"pain bodies" (to quote Eckhardt Tolle), being brought into the Light for healing and release.  Exactly how long this process will take, no one knows for sure-perhaps years or decades, but I believe we are entering a turning point.

It is up to each one of us to turn towards and embrace the light of  change and healing, even if there is pain involved.  Release the darkness and move forward in faith, trusting that you will be guided to your highest good.  Welcome the Christmas star!

If we each become a small light, we can change the world...

This little light of mine,
I’m gonna let it shine.
This little light of mine,
I’m gonna let it shine.
Let it shine, let it shine, let it shine.
Hide it under a bushel? NO!
I’m gonna let it shine.
Hide it under a bushel? NO!
I’m gonna let it shine.
Let it shine, let it shine, let it shine.
Don’t let anyone blow it out,
I’m gonna let it shine.
Don’t let anyone blow it out,
I’m gonna let it shine.
Let it shine, let it shine, let it shine

-famous children's song of unknown origin

 

 

 

Heal My Heart

 I honor my heart today.  I feel its warmth and pulse, giving thanks for this center of my being that connects me to life.  I pay it no attention on most days; taking for granted that it keeps going, reliably, allowing me to breathe and walk; that it keeps my blood flowing, nourishing every cell in my body.   My heart is where I feel emotion as well. When I express love to someone, my heart area swells with warmth and light. When I am sad, my heart feels heavy and at times of great sorrow, it may even feel broken.

It's interesting that most spiritual traditions recognize the heart as the area of connection to the Divine.  In Eastern religions and philosophy, the "heart chakra" is considered the bridge where the physical and spiritual meet. and a great deal is written about how to heal this energy center in order to be more compassionate and loving.  In Christianity, the heart is considered the place where we connect to God within. Henry Nouwen, a well-known Catholic priest and author, wrote:

"But when we learn to descend with our mind into our heart, then all those who have become part of our lives are led into the healing presence of God and touched by him in the center of our being. We are speaking here about a mystery for which words are inadequate. It is the mystery that the heart, which is the center of our being, is transformed by God into his own heart, a heart large enough to embrace the entire universe. Through prayer we can carry in our heart all human pain and sorrow, all conflicts and agonies, all torture and war, all hunger, loneliness, and misery, not because of some great psychological or emotional capacity, but because God's heart has become one with ours.” 

This morning, as I breathe into my heart center, I am thankful for this sacred space that connects my body, mind and spirit.  I ask that any broken places would be healed, any physical disease would be restored to health and my capacity for love and compassion would grow.  I connect to the Light within, and my heart radiates love in ever expanding ripples...
I carry this energy with me as I go about my day.
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