The Winter Solstice is the day each year with the shortest amount of daylight. Each year, the light grows shorter and the darkness lasts longer, until today.
Even now, with our technologies to turn night into day and bring light into the darkness, the balance of light and darkness shapes our lives.
I work with people who struggle against darkness. For some, it is the darkness of being cut off from their true selves, from the leaders they can become. For some, it is a spiritual darkness of being separated from from the deepest parts of themselves. For some, it is a sort of organizational darkness that keeps them from bringing the light of their own core values to the tasks they take on each day. For some, it is the darkness of needing to find the “right” answer, of not being willing to risk making a mistake.
My favorite story of the early desert mothers and fathers is that one day Abbot Lot came to Abbot Joseph and said:
Father, according as I am able, I keep my little rule, and my little fast, my prayer, meditation and contemplative silence; and according as I am able I strive to cleanse my heart of thoughts; now what more should I do?
The elder rose up in reply and stretched out his hands to heaven, and his fingers became like ten lamps of fire. He said: Why not be totally changed into fire?
So often we are so afraid to wait through one more night of darkness for the daylight to begin lengthening. So often, we focus on the darkness around us and do not see that we can be totally changed into flame.
How will you help bring light into the darkness today?
Will you be totally changed into fire?
[Image by wwarby]
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