Have you ever been afraid of the dark? Do you know anyone who is or has been afraid of the dark? My grandchildren when they were little, liked to sleep with nightlights on. Things became scary in the dark. What is it about the dimly lit room – why are people afraid in the dark?
Real or imagined darkness can be a scary place. The unknown and or imagined monsters can make us feel unsafe. The very real reality of the night darkness is that the crime rate does go up. Those who seek to harm others often like the hiddenness of the night. There is reason for careful attentiveness when moving through the night. However, the amazing thing is that there are ways of not being afraid in the darkness of night.
My granddaughter lives an hour away. When we visit back and forth, we often have sleepovers. When she was very little, for few minutes I laid down with this little one and comforted her as she prepared to fall asleep. One time she said, “I don’t need a nightlight tonight, because you are here.” The first time she said this I was so humbled. I knew in my heart that I had not done anything special. I was just being present. I became for her a light, shining in the darkness abating all of her fears. She felt perfectly safe and could fall straight away to sleep. I believe this is what Jesus speaks of in today’s Scripture.
The Scripture
From Matthew 5:14-16 we discover disciples are literally to become a beckon, a light shining in the darkness of the world. Relationships are messy. Even when we don’t intend to, we can inflict harm. We may cause fears to embed in the hearts of others and community to become messy as people fuss about one another and give way for misunderstandings. Our unjust systems that govern the world, the wars, and random acts of violence all appear to stifle the light in favor of living in darkness. Just this morning I heard of a house bill that is hoped to enhance higher education. It sounds good by title, but in reality, it seeks to remove all diversity and inclusivity training for teachers. How does hiding in darkness open the way of God’s light? Disciples are literally to become the light of Christ for others, not lead to oppression and exclusion of love.
Does becoming the light of Christ mean that we who love and follow Jesus with the fullest commitment of our lives are supposed to glow like a lit up light bulb? Of course, not. But we are to become the embodiment of God’s brilliant love for others. This is not something that we can do on our own power.
To quench the thirsty soul in our fast-paced society many people turn to alcohol, drugs and risky sexual behavior. We discover these inward stimulants do not satisfy. There is still something within that yearns for even greater connection, a place of belonging, release from anxiety, and community woven with the living presence of Christ. This is not something we can manufacture on our own. Wholeness and healing comes from the powerful, creative word of God which lives within and through us. The desert elders ached with this deep yearning to be shaped from the inside of their being by God’s grace to the impactful and empowered actions of their lives.
Wisdom from the Desert
A brother asked one of the elders: What good thing shall I do, and have life thereby? The old man replied: God alone knows what is good. However, I have heard it said that someone inquired of Father Abbot Nisteros the great, the friend of Abbot Anthony, asking: what good work shall I do? And that he replied: Not all works are alike. For scripture says that Abraham was hospitable and God was with him. Elias loved solitary prayer and God was with him. And David was humble, and God was with him. Therefore, whatever you see your soul to desire according to God, do that thing, and you shall keep you heart safe.[1]
Each one of us is called to be a light shining in darkness. Whether the darkness comes from silent fears which reside within or the emptiness of our own hungering, we are invited and empowered by God to live as an embodiment of Jesus love for self and for the others.
Jesus is calling believers – lovers of God – to live authentic compassion and love for others. Our ways of conversation, actions of justice and mercy, and bringing out the best from within others are all a part of living authentic compassion and God-love. This Gospel reading is not calling us to try harder – to get more volunteers, or to give more time or more self-exertion and do more things – as followers of Jesus, we are to train smarter as the spiritual disciplines shape our inward nature to become more and more Christlike in all our encounter. What does this live like?
We are called to live justice in all our conversations and with our actions. This impacts how we speak with others, how we pay attention to them, and how we empower them to live their best God-self. Living justice is how we show compassion for those without homes or country. It is being a merciful person even in the face of disagreement. The fruits of the Spirit are a natural byproduct of one’s priority for justice. It is to believe Jesus’ Word, that creative, powerful empowering energetic Word and live in the new reality of Jesus’ kingdom come on earth.
When I laid down beside my granddaughter for moment in time, she no longer needed a nightlight. She reached her little hands out into the darkness and found my face. Cradling my face in the palms of her hands. “You are my light this night, Amma” she said. And Jesus spoke, “let your light shine.”
Today we are called to live as Jesus loves the world and become a light shining in the darkness of our time in history. What concrete actions will you live to love as Jesus loves? How will these actions spring from a foundation of God’s formation within and through your life?
Invitation for Contemplation
Today consider how you notice the insightful and powerful presence of God during our desert journey through asking what God would have you to do, or to be as an embodiment of Christ light to the nations, the neighbors, to your ministry site. Today’s letter writing focus is upon insights and wisdom gleaned from the desert wisdom above and Matthew 5.
Contemplative Experience
Please plan a two-step approach for each daily devotional. First, read the devotional and mentally review the reflection questions. This could be your morning devotional time. That way you can contemplate on the material throughout your day. The questions are simply to prime the heart’s creative imagination in preparation for writing your Love Letter to God and your imagined response from God. Your Love Letter portfolio is your gift of this process. It is to be a written record of how you and God companion one another through this season. It is the inward formational journey of these six weeks during which you may find yourself becoming God’s Love Letter to others through your daily life.
At the end of the day, center yourself before God in silence and solitude for writing your Love Letters. To begin, enter your sacred space and invite God into your awareness. This invitation may begin with the repetition of your favorite name for God silently in your mind. This may look like focusing your mind and heart upon the name Jesus: Jesus… Jesus… Jesus…Take an intentional breath slowly in through your nose as the Divine presence of the risen Christ breathes into you. Let that breath of Jesus float slowly down your throat, into your lungs and imagine it going into each cell of your body. After a moment – exhale slowly and let the air escape through your slightly parted lips. With this exhale let the stale air carry away resistances and busyness of your day, so that you may come fully into God’s presence. Repeat this breathing invitation to God several times before moving to the next step of contemplation and journaling.
Morning: In preparation for writing your Love Letters, mentally consider the following queries. There is no need to write responses unless that is helpful for you to focus in writing your Love Letter to God.
- What word or words jump out to your heart’s attention the from the Scripture and desert wisdom?
- Hold this word(s) or short phrase in your heart throughout your day.
- Imagine how could God be yearning to fill the God shaped emptiness within you for the love and benefits of the world?
- What does it feel like to you to consider becoming the embodiment of Christ’s light and presence?
- Contemplate how could God be whispering a Word to your heart and or your community’s heart through this word(s)?
- What is God inviting you and your community to do or be through your contemplation upon your word?
- Is there an action or thought which you are called to embody because of this word?
- What questions arise for you around your word from scripture as God invites you into this season of Lent?
Writing your Love Letter to God
Evening: Continue your time of prayer in the evening after a contemplative day with pen in hand and imagination open before God. Today’s Love Letter to God focuses on your word that you discerned from scripture. Consider:
- How will you address God? Maybe you will use “Dear God”, possibly something more extravagant such of “To my Heart’s Love.” Be as creative and free in expression as your soul desires as you write to God.
- What do you imagine that you could whisper to God about the scripture from Joel and your discerned word? Maybe your Love Letter to God will focus upon how you are starting this Lenten trek with God’s resounding Word. Are there fears, joys, concerns that you would like to express to God?
- How will you close your letter. Might you close in gratitude, humility, or another posture of love?
Next write the imaged response letter from God to you. This may take a leap of faith. Possibly a conversation with a spiritual director may be helpful to open imagination for how God whispers to your heart. Consider your image of God. Is God a judge, a Shepherd, inclusive Love, or perhaps the Vine to your branches? How does your image of God influence your imagined response letter from God.
What do you imagine God longs to whisper to your heart in response to your Love Letter to God?
- How does God feel about what you have written?
- How does God embrace and care for your concerns, or celebrate your joys?
- Sit silently and listen. Imagine how God desires to write a letter back to you. How does God address you in the greeting of the letter? What feelings are expressed within the letter from God to you? Try to look at yourself through God’s eyes and heart. Remember in your imagination that God looks upon the inward nature of those whom God loves. Your image of God will shape how you imagine God would respond to your Love Letter.
- How does God close this Love Letter to you?
With these two letters, the one you write to God and God’s imagined response to you, you begin your portfolio of becoming a living Love Letter to God. You may desire to create a cover page for your love letters so that you can store them in a binder or possibly create a folder upon the computer just for your Lenten love letters. Upon completion of your letters, pause for a moment of silent thanksgiving for God’s resounding Word and love in life.
After giving thanks for uncovering God’s presence through your word discovery and writing your Love Letters to God and to you from God, re-read your own words. Be gentle with yourself. You are not evaluating what is written. Simply come to the text with the wonder if God has any other wisdom or words to share with you through this archeological reading of your words. If you discover any further insight from God, you are free to add to your portfolio with additional resounding Words of wisdom.
When you have completed praying, place your Love Letter portfolio on your altar table or in the absence of a table, bring it to your heart in an embrace. Offer a prayer of gratitude for all the gifts of God’s insights. You may use this prayer or one of your own.
Holy One, Holy Three, encircle us in this moment giving to us a felt sense of your community. The trek into the desert can be an arduous one, but we are not alone. Thank you for your constant companionship and steadfast love. Give to us eyes to see your beauty in the midst of the fragile life of humanity. Breathe deeply within us so that we may love your people. Give to us courage to step out in the embodiment of your light shining for all to see. Together we continue our desert sojourn, dancing, laughing and loving through the power of your Holy Spirit. Amen.
[1] Thomas Merton, translator, 2004, The Wisdom of the Desert, (Shambhala Publications, Inc., Boston), Page 33
