The Light Within You

 "Your eye is the lamp of your body. Therefore, when your eye is good, your whole body also is full of light. But when your eye is unhealthy, your body also is full of darkness.Therefore, take heed that the light within you is not darkness. If then your whole body is full of light, and no part of it dark, it will be just as full of light as when a lamp shines its light on you.”
Luke 11: 34-36 (NKJ)

I have always found this to be one of the most mystical passages in the bible. I'm sure it has an official, biblical scholar interpretation, but to me it seems to be referring to the "third eye" or pineal gland, which regulates the light that enters the body as well as the whole circadian rhythm so important to life and health. It is thought by many Eastern religions to be the gateway that connects the spiritual and physical worlds, accessible through meditation. Jesus regularly spent time alone, in deep prayer and meditation, so it's not too far-fetched to think he may have been referring to the third eye when he spoke the above quote to his followers.

I am going to posit a theory that Jesus was encouraging us to spend time in deep meditation as a way to bring the Light of the Spirit into our minds and bodies. 

Meditation in the traditional sense, means to focus on a single word or phrase as a means of quieting the conscious flow of thought that keeps us connected to our ego minds. It can be a simple thought, such as "peace" or "love", or a verse, such as "Be still and know that I am God" (Psalm 46:10). We can start with just a few minutes and work up to a longer meditation period, since it can be hard to calm our chattering, busy minds and it takes some practice to control our thoughts. But the rewards can be great if we persist in trying. More insights and inspiration, less anxiety, better sleep and even lower blood pressure have all been attributed to the regular practice of meditation. Through the activation of the pineal gland or "third eye", more light enters our body, which elevates us spiritually and physically.

So, on this rainy, gray morning,I am reminded to postpone reading the paper and checking my phone. I will instead take a few moments to be still, to meditate and to usher in the Light of the Spirit.

Living in Joy

 This morning woke me with anxious thoughts, but as I prayed them away and my anxiety was soothed, I was reminded that joy really is a daily choice we can make. I like to think of joy in the biblical sense: as a lifting of the spirit to a place of profound inner contentment, rather than simply a fleeting feeling of happiness. 

My "Daily Word" for today reinforced these thoughts:

 :

"Even during the most trying times, I need never forgo the feeling of deep joy when I remain centered in God. Joy is not a mood; it is so much more than a feeling. It is one of my spiritual gifts, an aspect of my divine inheritance. I can meet life's difficulties with joy and serenity. I draw upon my indwelling joy in the same way I would draw water from a well. Even though I might not find water on the surface, I trust that if I reach for it, I will find it beneath the surface. The same thing is true for joy...I trust that joy is the love beyond the pain, the health beyond the illness and the forgiveness beyond the hurt."  (Daily Word, Unity Publications, August 12, 2024).

So, today, as I go about my  morning routine, I will consciously draw upon the inner well of joy by envisioning that with each breath, I am connecting to and claiming my Divine inheritance, the fruits of the Spirit.

  But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. (Galatians 5:22)

The Gift of Water

 This morning, I am especially thankful for the gift of water. We were born in water, our bodies are made up of watery fluids, we are refreshed by rainfall and the oceans, rivers and streams near our homes. Without it, we could not survive.

I've been meditating on the blessing of water the past few days; being so close to Lake Ontario means that whenever I am feeling stressed or simply want to watch a beautiful sunset, I can just hop in the car and be there in minutes. Watching the sunlight sparkle on a large expanse of water is hypnotizing and uplifting; being close to a river, ocean or waterfall elevates one's spirit in a way that is indescribable. Water is healing to the body, mind and spirit; an essential element that, here in the Northeast, where we have abundant rainfall and clean drinking water, is often taken for granted.

I am very thankful to be here, able to drink clean water and hike near rushing streams and waterfalls as we did yesterday, yet my heart aches for all those who don't have this simple gift of life: people in the Sudan and other dry land areas, who have been struggling to get clean water; those experiencing extreme heat waves and water use restrictions.

Today, I say a prayer for all those who struggle to find clean water, for those in inner cities who have no access to the restorative healing power of nature's most beautiful sources of water and I ask for God's help to do whatever I can to protect this precious resource. 

 When I am feeling down about the state of the world, climate change or the divisions that politics create, I am thankful that I can go to the water and find peace.

When despair for the world grows in me
and I wake in the night at the least sound
in fear of what my life and my children’s lives may be,
I go and lie down where the wood drake
rests in his beauty on the water, and the great heron feeds.
I come into the peace of wild things
who do not tax their lives with forethought
of grief. I come into the presence of still water.
And I feel above me the day-blind stars
waiting with their light. For a time
I rest in the grace of the world, and am free.

-Wendell Berry, "The Peace of Wild Things"