The Light of Life

My Year in Review (2018)

When we expected to be (once again) treated as a mere object.

We have been conditioned to be seen (or even see ourselves) as a means to an end. Richard Rohr writes,

“This is perhaps the clearest way to describe God’s unconditional acceptance and forgiveness: We are never an object to God.” — Richard Rohr

(a lighted structure was built for you to sit inside of — surrounded by light)

Consider the following song/prayer:

The Eternal One bless and keep you. May He make His face shine upon you and be gracious to you. The Eternal lift up His countenance to look upon you and give you peace.

- Numbers 6

Read over it again and consider the body sensations you encounter as you imagine the words. Do you sense warmth? peace? relaxation? Something else? For all the striving — all the the victories and failures of the past year, do you ever have a sense of something bigger than you and I. Do you ever sense a greater Love? a greater Presence? a greater Life that resides within and beyond you?

As I sat in a funeral for a young girl who had passed away after over a year of battling cancer, only to see it come back and overtake her body. I listened over and over not to a story of all the good ahead, but of all the life that she lived to the fullest. Any talk of the future was not about heaven or “being in a better place” but the way in which her life would be a ripple effect of love, an ongoing presence of nearness. It was beautiful. And the final words of the ceremony was the blessing from the Old Testament census account, Numbers.

The Eternal One bless and keep you.
May He make His face shine upon you
and be gracious to you.

Do you ever feel invisible? unheard? uncared for?

Have you ever heard others use these kind of descriptions?

Ignored.
Unnoticed.
Silenced.
Shamed.

I cannot think of a lonelier existence.

But, the contrast — to be heard! For someone to actually “get you” . . . What a feeling! The Eternal lift up His countenance to look upon you and give you peace.

Consider in this moment what it means to you to be looked upon. Truly seen. And rather than feeling anxious or wishing to be passed over — you are seen in a way that warms you with peace. In the moment of being seen — you wouldn’t change a thing about yourself, because:

YOU are fully known— you are wholly loved;
YOU have a mind relieving peace — your thoughts are present;
YOU have a deep breathing peace — you are comfortable in your own skin.

Sit & Consider

Let this sense of being seen bring you peace. Look around noticing the light that both shines upon you and from you. Sit for a moment — let the light of peace be your focus.

Breathe in the Light. . . (Inhale)
Breathe out the Light . . . . (Exhale)
Continue this for a few moments.

God is both illuminating that which is within us, but also illuminating the world through us. May the Light of Light bring peace, “DO YOU not recognize Jesus Christ is in you?” (2Cor.13:5). “Our core is original blessing not original sin.” — Center for Action and Contemplation

The next several articles will include the content from the two evenings we prepared/encountered over two Sundays as a community. But you can download the full PDF.