Light Energy

God is Light; in Him there is no darkness at all. 1 John 1:5

During the dark evenings of winter, there's a necessary slowing.

Shorter days. Colder nights. Darkness.

And during the darkness of winter, our collective souls seem to crave a special energy:

the energy of light.

Do you see it in your home and on the streets? Do you feel it?

Twinkling lights in the dark, candlelight, and orbs of color offer light energy.

And as various faith traditions display light, color and symbol, we feel it:

Our connection in hope;

Our celebration of goodness with food, family and traditions; and

Our claim of a promise through sacred readings, rituals and music:

Good is here, now.

And Good is coming.

In light of all that is going on around us, we feel the need to light the night.

In light of all that is going on inside of us, we need to feel the light in the night.

"Taking time to see deeply is key. For what begins with physical sight can end in spiritual insight."

- Fr. Richard M Gula, PSS

And when we don't see it or feel it, we need to know that light exists.

That light will go on.

Just as winter's slow and hush is required for the emergence of spring,

our own winters invite us into stillness. If we're willing.

Slowing down, we can ask ourselves: "What's here? What's missing?"

Hushing distractions, we can assess: "What hurts? What helps?"

Stilling ourselves, we can identify in the midst: "What remains?"

Health, healing and wholeness always begin with an energy assessment.

Physically, do we have a balance of energy and rest?

Socially, do we attend to our internal and external energy needs?

Cognitively, do we energize our brains and senses to learn and grow?

Emotionally, do we recognize what energizes and depletes?

Starting there can help us see:

"For what begins with physical sight can end in spiritual insight."

Spiritually, do we recognize light energy?

And is there a light energy that remains in the depth of dark memories, dark moods and dark moments?

We yearn to believe that "All is calm... all is bright."

Yet sometimes all of our "bright ideas" may blind us from the truth:

Light energy is the soul's essential nutrient.

And we hear mockers, inside or outside of us, mocking:

"What good is light energy in the serious business of life?"

Good and evil both increase at compound interest.

That is why the little decisions you and I make every day are of such infinite importance. - C.S. Lewis

Light energy is serious necessity.

But scoffers make light of light energy:

"Why waste time trying to light the darkness?"

In the recovery of eating disorders, the prognosis is determined by the ability to detect light.

Can the afflicted individual perceive the light (the wise mind) within?

Or is there a rejection or lack of recognition which causes one to fuse with the darkness of disorder?

Without light energy, a life may lay to waste.

In desperate times and in all times, light energy is required to permeate our sensibilities.

And our senses. Because light energy is:

Energy that can be heard.

Energy that can be tasted and smelled.

Energy that can be seen and touched.

As we experience, we believe.

As we ingest the words of sacred readings, scripture and affirmations, we know.

Taking time to see deeply is to "see" with our hearts and bodies.

To see with our minds and experiences.

To see with the eyes of faith.

For what we perceive through the body, mind and spirit reverberate. Resonate. Re-making us.

Mockers inside and outside of us can be met with the energy of light:

Darkness cannot drive out darkness: only light can do that.

Hate cannot drive out hate: only love can do that. -Martin Luther King Jr.

Mockers outside and inside of us can be met with the energy of light.

Henry Wadsworth Longfellow penned a striking poem in 1864 on Christmas Day.

And it was only after experiencing his spouse's death, a son injured by the Civil War, and deepest grief:

I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day

Their old familiar carols play,

And wild and sweet the words repeat

Of peace on earth, good will to men.

I thought how, as the day had come,

The belfries of all Christendom

Had rolled along the unbroken song

Of peace on earth, good will to men.

And in despair I bowed my head:

“There is no peace on earth,” I said,

“For hate is strong and mocks the song

Of peace on earth, good will to men.”

Longfellow could have ended the poem there. Maybe we are tempted to end there, too, at times.

Yet the light energy of Longfellow's faith would not be mocked.

He continued to pen:

Then pealed the bells more loud and deep:

“God is not dead, nor doth he sleep;

The wrong shall fail, the right prevail,

With peace on earth, good will to men.”

Till, ringing singing, on its way,

The world revolved from night to day,

A voice, a chime, a chant sublime,

Of peace on earth, good will to men!

The poem was set to music in 1872 by John Baptiste Calkin as a Christmas carol, an offering of light energy through song.

We need to see, feel and know: God's not dead and does not sleep!

We need to show: God's not dead and does not sleep!

Faith is the light energy of the indwelling God of light.

In us. In others. Inextinguishably.

But an untended flame may flicker low.

How to tend to the flame?

Knowing the Higher Power source allows us to:

Power In.

Power On.

Power Through.

How to deal with the mockers inside and outside of us?

Light energy does not deny the dark.

Light energy shows up.

Light energy.

We know it when get a bit excited to give a gift to someone just to see the light in their eyes.

We know it, how the sparkling eyes of another are evidence of light energy.

Whoever loves...lives in the light. 1 John 2:10

We know it when we get a bit excited to receive gifts of light in any form.

We feel it, how our renewed energy is evidence that we are seen in the light energy of love.

Because it's clear as light itself:

When we experience light energy, we can believe in love.

Treading light-ly and sharing light become not a suggestion but an imperative.

Whomever is loved...believes in the light.

In the night sky, our eyes search for light energy reminders.

Any flickering star can remind us how the wise still seek Him,

the Light Who is alive and flickering within us, invisible yet meant to be visible.

"Use the life you've been given to give others life." - Ann Voskamp

The Light of the World has been gifted to us.

What better gift to receive and to re-gift?