Lotus of the Heart > Path of Spirit > Light Out of Darkness

 
 

Light Out of Darkness

Conversion of Negativity into Positivity

Aug 28, 2009

Saying For Today: She, however, shines through her uniqueness, while adoring how the same Light shines through the particularity of another Light child, also.


Welcome to OneLife Ministries. This site is designed to lead you prayerfully into a heart experience of Divine Presence, Who is Love. While it focuses on Christian teaching, I hope persons of varied faiths will find inspiration here. Indeed, "God" can be whatever image helps us trust in the Sacred, by whatever means Grace touches us each. Please share this ministry with others, and please return soon. There is a new offering daily. And to be placed on the daily OneLife email list, to request notifications of new writings or submit prayer requests, write to briankwilcox@yahoo.com .

Blessings,
Brian Kenneth Wilcox MDiv, MFT, PhD
Interspiritual Pastor-Teacher, Author, Workshop Leader,
Spiritual Counselor, and Chaplain.

Brian encourages support of the 4-Star Christian organization Compassion, which supports children worldwide; see www.compassion.com .

Prayer Mantra

Shine through me, Holy Spirit, shine.

Spiritual Teaching

In the 2004 movie “Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban,” all have returned to Hogwarts for the start of a new school year. After the students are seated, Professor Dumbledore begins with announcements. He introduces new faculty members. He, then, turns to a serious topic concerning the students’ safety. He says, "On advice of the Ministry of Magic, Hogwarts will, until further notice, play host to the Dementors of Azkaban, until such a time as Sirius Black [who was perceived to be a dangerous foe] is captured. The Dementors will be stationed at every entrance to the grounds."

The Dementors are frightening beings, and Dumbledore says that they will not disrupt the school. He warns, however, that "Dementors are vicious creatures. They will not distinguish between the one they hunt and the one who gets in their way. Therefore, I must warn each and every one of you—give them no reason to harm you. It is not in the nature of a Dementor to be forgiving. But, you know, happiness can be found even in the darkest of times, if one only remembers to turn on the light."

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Despair is alien to the Christ spirit. Meditation and Contemplative living are means to transform energies of negativity. Faith does not mean denying “the darkest of times.” Faith looks through eyes of Light to see the truth that good is inherent in evil, clarity is integral to doubt, and love resides within hate. There is an Angel inside “Satan.” “Satan” can become the manifestation of Light, which is only repressed as the Shadow.

We experience personal and cultural Dementors. Such negativity includes anything that brings harm and fragmentation to others and us. And, in meditation and Silence, we experience this dark side arise, manifesting subtleties of harmfulness and selfishness we would not have seen without the activity the ego self – the false self - being disarmed by the Quiet.

* * *

The Pharisee functions as an archetype in the Gospels. He is a chief opponent of Jesus Christ, and the Pharisee's weakness is in denying the darkness that captivated his attention, a darkness that could not see itself as darkness. However, one Pharisee, Nicodemus, realizing the Light of Christ, came to Christ in the dark of night (St. John 4.1ff). Later, Nicodemus sought, before his colleagues, to defend Jesus’ right to a fair trial (St. John 7.45ff). Also, he assisted Joseph of Arimethea in taking Jesus’ body off the cross and the burial (St. John 19.48ff). Nicodemus brought the ointment to apply to the body. Nicodemus is a sign of the potential transformation of darkness by Light, the conversion of negativity into positivity.

Judas, through betraying Christ, manifested the darkness that provided the context for the Light of Christ to show its Love. Light arises out of darkness, for its potential is already in darkness. Darkness and light are part of the one Good Creation: For God, who said, "Let light shine out of darkness," has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ (II Corinthians 4.6, ESV). The passage does not read, “Let light replace darkness,” or “Let darkness be destroyed that light may shine.” No, “Let light shine out of darkness.”

* * *

So, look deeply into the darkness, and do not despair. See the Sun and Moon and all the Stars, see a million Galaxies and more, in the blackness of a cloudy night. Faith says, as Elohim in Genesis 1: “Let there be light.” And, amazingly, one finds that in saying this, she discovers that the Light of God is the Light she has within herself. She is the Light, for she is one Substance with the Father, with the Mother. Then, she knows that to shine the Light is simply to be truly her self as a manifestation of the Light. This gives her inestimable value. She, however, shines through her uniqueness, while adoring how the same Light shines through the particularity of another Light child, also.

Responding

1)How would you describe the way the Light shines through your uniqueness to bless others?

2)Think of someone you admire, and ask yourself, “How does the Light shine through him, or her, in a way unique?

* * *

*OneLife Ministries is a ministry of Brian Kenneth Wilcox, SW Florida. Brian lives a vowed life and with his two dogs, Bandit Ty and St. Francis, with friends and under a vow of simplicity. Brian is an ecumenical-interspiritual leader, who chooses not to identify with any group, and renounces all titles of sacredness that some would apply to him, but seeks to be open to how Christ manifests in the diversity of Christian denominations and varied religious-spiritual traditions. He affirms that all spiritual paths lead ultimately back to Jesus Christ. He is Senior Chaplain for the Charlotte County Sheriff's Office, Punta Gorda, FL.

*Brian welcomes responses to his writings or submission of prayer requests at briankwilcox@yahoo.com . Also, Brian is on Facebook: search Brian Kenneth Wilcox.

*Contact the above email to book Brian for preaching, Spiritual Direction, retreats, workshops, animal blessing services, house blessings, or other spiritual requests. You can order his book An Ache for Union from major booksellers.

 

Lotus of the Heart > Path of Spirit > Light Out of Darkness

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