9 The true light that gives light to everyone was coming into the world. 10 He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him. 11 He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him. John 1: 9-11
My credo has been, life is about consciousness and relationship. Therefore, the consciousness that you show up in dictates how the relationship unfolds. An example would be a person gets bad news before they go to work, and this affects their consciousness for the rest of the day. One always has choice in how much power they give the bad news and one can choose to begin again and have a better day.
I have always used the credo regarding humans and pets, and it didn’t occur to me until recently that it could include ‘things.’ For example, darkness was mentioned in this first week of Advent talk that Rev Pat Bessey gave. What is my relationship with darkness? What kind of consciousness do I have about it? I really had never thought about it before. I wasn’t afraid of the dark growing up and maybe it’s partly because my sister and I shared a room and slept in bunk beds. I was in the top bunk of course. We also had our flashlights and our pet cat that would sometimes sleep with us.
Light is a subject that seems to have an uplifting quality to it. Sunlight is always good therapy for someone who is depressed or sad. Generally, a topic people are more interested in talking about. The above quote from John chapter one is referring to Jesus’s birth. Historically this was a dark time for the inhabitants of Bethlehem and the surrounding towns because the Romans were occupying the area. This was like the Russian forces occupying Ukraine today. It makes perfect sense why so many people came to the birth in Bethlehem because it was a sign of hope and so much more.
Here is a perspective on looking at the darkness:
“Just like the seed that starts its life in the darkness of the soil, or the child that starts its life in the darkness of the womb, all beginnings are in the dark, because darkness is one of the most essential things for anything to begin.” p 138, OSHO, A Practical Guide to OSHO Meditations
For me, this gives darkness a better reputation. The book of meditations looks interesting, and you can preview it on google. It goes on to talk more about darkness. There are many other quotes on darkness or the dark, that I looked up and it has been helpful in reflecting on what I think about darkness.
And…I am still looking at what my relationship with darkness is. An activity we were given from Rev Pat was to set a timer for 3 minutes and write about what darkness is to you.
All the best,
Rev Airin
Meta Moments 