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LISTENING TO THE SCRIPTURES
Before time itself was measured, the Voice was speaking. The Voice was and is God. This celestial Voice remained ever present with the Creator. His speech shaped the entire cosmos. Immersed in the practice of creating, all things that exist were birthed in Him. His breath filled all things with a living, breathing light - light that thrives in the depths of darkness, blazing through murky bottoms. It cannot, and will not, be quenched.
*John 1.1-5 (VNT)
RECEIVING SACRED TEACHING
John begins, unlike the other Gospels, before time began. The Voice, or Word, was Divine Presence. Beyond saying this, all is a mystery. Our minds cannot begin to fathom Eternity, which is outside time.
This "light" - the Word - was not a static Light. Like shown by scientists regarding light, the Light was - and is - "living, breathing." The vitality of the cosmos mirrors and is a means of the Word's vitality.
The Light "thrives" where? We get a surprise, a paradox in the Divine Nature. The Light flourishes in "depths of darkness."
Now, let us bring this into our lives, our space-time. Do you ever experience "depths of darkness"? Yes, you have, do, and will.
What is this "darkness"? Anything contrary to Light. This Light includes all pertaining to sacredness and blessing. The darkness is anything contrary to love, joy, and peace.
What are we to do about such negative emotions and experiences? We do not deny the darkness. We look into the darkness. We name the darkness. This is confession.
We, principally, experience darkness through our emotions. We, as physical beings, register experience outside by feelings inside.
St. Teresa of Avila, in her Interior Castle, refers to these aspects of darkness as "reptiles." In her blueprint of spiritual healing, reptiles and poisonous creatures are all, or mostly, in the first three floors of the Castle of the soul, or path to union with God. So, early in our spiritual path - though "early" can include many years and some persons never grow beyond these stages of spiritual healing - we confront these inner areas of suffering.
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I differentiate "suffering" and "pain." Spiritually, "suffering" is unnatural. "Pain" is simply part of life. For example, you could have the pain of betrayal. You need not see such pain as nonspiritual or evidencing weakness. Pain in such is a healthy experience. Rather, to act like betrayal is painless would be an indicator of denial, not faith. And this form of denial is a trap on the spiritual journey. Yet, imagine that you begin to feel resentment, self-blame, malice, inordinate guilt, then, you have moved from the pain of being betrayed to the darkness of afflictive feelings - you have moved from pain to suffering.
What are we to do with pain to make sure pain does not become an occasion for arising of the reptiles of suffering? We take our pain into the Light. If pain evolves to suffering, once we are aware of the suffering, we bring it to the Light, also.
This is one way to look at the Mission of Jesus. Christ was and is Light. He illumined the pain and suffering about him, and this is a reason many came to him to be healed: "News about him spread as far as Syria, and people soon began bringing to him all who were sick. And whatever their sickness or disease, or if they were demon possessed or epileptic or paralyzed — he healed them all" (Matthew 4.24, NLT). Notice, "he healed them all." No darkness was beyond or able to resist the power of the penetrating Light of Grace.
One evening, I was exhausted and saddened in spirit. The night before, I had rejoiced in Presence in a most powerful way - as though I could reach out and touch the Light. This sense of saddness was with me almost all the following day. I went to work, but was glad to leave. I felt in a deeply, introspective mindset.
Later, I got a painful email. On reptile days we do not respond as well emotionally to interpersonal issues. On nonsuffering days we might take something with an, "Okay, I get it, and thanks," but on a dark day we might think, "Okay, I've had enough. I don't want to be bothered anymore, by anyone. Where is my cave?" We have those days when we do not need any more negativity - no more pain, not one more reptile - fair or unfair.
When we feel sensations like anxiety, harshness, impatience, irritation, anger, jealousy, envy, malice, ..., we have moved from pain to suffering. And the pain giving rise to suffering can be fair or unfair. The suffering is still there.
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