Tag: darkness

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Review-recap

What did we do?

woman looking at what she has written in her notebook

 

What happened in February?

scripture

We continued to look at scriptures that talk about light and its incompatibility with darkness in our lives.

prayers

We considered prayers begging for the very basics of eternal life and for divine mercy.

other writings

We looked at writings from the Catholic Catechism, Thomas Merton, Mary Oliver, and Frederick Buechner that considered how we can know what is true about the world around us and about our own identities, what the final purpose of life is, and the nature of prayer.

comments

Online community is a tricky thing. I don’t think it takes the place of physical, in-your-face community, but I do think it can be valuable, maybe even a lifeline at times. I welcome any thoughts you’d like to share.

thank you…

I’m glad to know you are stopping by and I hope and pray becomingflame is an encouragement to you.  Grace and peace to you…

dw

p.s.  Click here if you’d like to see what we did in January.

Photo by João Silas on Unsplash – cropped to fit theme by dw

 

Categories
light and darkness Scripture

No darkness at all

sunrise over mountains

 

This is the message we have heard from him and proclaim to you, that God is light and in him is no darkness at all.

1 John 1:5, Ignatius Bible

Last Friday’s post, a prayer for eternal life, takes me on a journey from knowing God to loving, trusting, and obeying him.  It starts with knowing because how can I love him if I don’t know him?

I think the apostle John, “the one whom Jesus loved”, is all about helping us know God so we can love him, fellowship with him, abide in him.  In this passage he lays out the basics: God is all light (all flame) – there is not a hint of darkness in him.  He says to us essentially, “Children, if you sense darkness, that isn’t God; you will know him because he is the one who is all light, all good, all truth, all love.”

Grace and peace to us as we learn to know and love our gracious and good God.

dw

p.s. For any who want to look back at other posts on the theme of light and darkness, here is a guide:

 

Categories
Review-recap

What did we do?

woman looking at what she has written in her notebook

 

What happened in January?

becomingflame.com went live

On January 1st, becomingflame.com went live with its first post and About page.

scripture

We focused on scriptures that talk about light (as opposed to darkness), beginning with the first ‘word’ of creation in Genesis, moving on to the Word who was with God before creation, who is the light of the world, the life of all people. We talked about the choice between light and darkness. Finally, we talked about being the light of the world ourselves.

prayers

We looked at a few prayers for different situations.

other writings

We looked at writings from Thomas Merton, Mary Oliver, and Frederick Buechner that emphasized how the anxiety and concerns of daily life can snuff out our flame, the flicker of our ‘real self’. We were repeatedly encouraged to pay attention in order tend to that flame.

comments

It’s been great to have a conversation with Robert (whose blog I follow and enjoy). Would be great to have others join in 🙂

thank you

Finally, it’s been a joy for me to do this and to know that you take the time to check in.  Grace and peace to all…

dw

Photo by João Silas on Unsplash – cropped to fit theme by dw

 

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attention light and darkness Scripture

Jesus, the light of the world

Rembrandt portrait of Jesus

Again Jesus spoke to them, saying, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness but will have the light of life.”

John 8:12, NRSV Bible with Apocrypha

Jesus is all flame; he is the light of the world, the light of life for all people. Our desire to become all flame, as Abba Joseph puts it, is simply another way of saying we want to love Jesus so much we will follow him no matter what, just to be with him in his mission of truth, mercy, healing, provision, redemption, justice, and love.

I regret that I regularly and habitually focus on the ashes and not the light, as Thomas Merton writes; every time I do that, I forfeit an experience of the very best for something less than that. As Mary Oliver says, when I do that “there is something wrong, I know”.

  • What is  your response to Jesus’ claim to be “the light of the world”?
  • How do you manage in our culture that is designed and engineered to capture our attention in a million different ways?
  • What is your experience of “light” vs. “darkness” in your life?
  • Take a moment to write down what comes to your mind. Maybe share it with a loved one later.

Gracious God, in your mercy, enable us to follow Jesus more and more each day.

Grace and peace to you…

dw

Image – Rembrandt portrait of Jesus from wikiart.org

Categories
light and darkness Scripture

Light and darkness

Person standing before window in dark room looking at bright light.

…the light has come into the world, and people loved darkness rather than light because their deeds were evil.

For all who do evil hate the light and do not come to the light, so that their deeds may not be exposed.

But those who do what is true come to the light, so that it may be clearly seen that their deeds have been done in God.

John 3:19-21, NRSV Bible with Apocrypha

We are so torn.

We reach for what we think gives life.

It entices us, fools us, and warps our very ability to perceive the difference between death-dealing and life-giving.

And the light is too bright, life-giving decisions and actions too hard, the freedom outside our familiar prisons too risky.

When we get to this place…and all of us get there…Lord, light of the world, have mercy on us.

  • Have you been in this place? Are you now?
  • If you are, what about the darkness is enticing you, holding you? What frightens you about coming into the light? Try to name these things, write them down. I think God will help you; in fact, God has promised to help you.
  • If you once were, what is it like looking back now? How do you feel about the darkness you were in? What was your experience transitioning to the Light?
  • Take some time to write down what is coming to mind. It might come back to save you someday.

Grace and peace to you…

dw

Photo by Isai Ramos on Unsplash