{"id":18440,"date":"2019-12-02T09:35:10","date_gmt":"2019-12-02T14:35:10","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/co2mannatoday.com\/?p=18440"},"modified":"2019-12-02T10:00:49","modified_gmt":"2019-12-02T15:00:49","slug":"darkness","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/co2mannatoday.com\/?p=18440","title":{"rendered":"Darkness"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<figure><iframe loading=\"lazy\" width=\"560\" height=\"315\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/SnAwd25lCqo\" allowfullscreen=\"\"><\/iframe><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Gaining New Traction<\/strong><br>Monday, December 2, 2019<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Experiences of darkness are good and necessary teachers. They are not to be avoided, denied, run from, or explained away. Even if we don\u2019t experience clinical or diagnosed depression, most of us will go through a period of darkness, doubt, and malaise at some point in our lives. I hope during these times we can reach out to someone\u2014a therapist, spiritual director, friend\u2014to support us. And when we feel strong may we be the shoulder someone else can lean on.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>There\u2019s a darkness that we are led into by our own sin (the illusion of separation), and selfishness (living out of the false or separate self), and stupidity. We have to work our way out of this kind of darkness by brutal honesty, confession, surrender, forgiveness, apology, and restitution. It may feel simultaneously like dying and being liberated.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>But there\u2019s another darkness that we\u2019re led into by God, grace, and the nature of life itself. In many ways, the loss of meaning, motivation, purpose, and direction might feel even greater here. Some call it \u201cthe dark night of the soul.\u201d Yet even while we feel alone and that God has abandoned us, we can also sense that we have been led here intentionally. We know we are in \u201climinal space,\u201d betwixt and between, on the threshold\u2014and we have to stay here until we have learned something essential. It is still no fun and filled with doubt and \u201cdemons\u201d of every sort. But it is the darkness of being held closely by God without our awareness. This is where transformation happens.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Of course, the darkness that we get ourselves into by our own \u201csinful\u201d choices can also become the darkness of God. Regardless of the cause, the dark night is an opportunity to look for and find God\u2014in new forms and ways. Neither God nor goodness exist only in the light but permeate all places, seen and unseen. It seems we have to \u201cunknow\u201d a bit every time we want to know in a new way. It is like putting your car in reverse in the mud and snow so that you can gain a new track and better traction.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>United Church of Christ pastor and Living School \u201csendee\u201d Mark Longhurst describes how both light and dark are essential for transformation.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote\"><p>In spirituality . . .&nbsp; we elevate the light over the darkness and praise the light and expel the darkness. Light conquers the darkness, the darkness will not overcome the light, John\u2019s Gospel says [1:5]. . . . The more Genesis works its wisdom on me, though, the more light and darkness seem bound up together. . . . God separates light from darkness, but they both need each other, and they both bear the breath of God. This, too, I think, is the truth of our lives. The light and the darkness are bound up with one another. Spiritual transformation does not happen only on the light level. We have to do the inner work of facing the shadow, or repressed realities, of who we are, both the beautiful and the bad. Some of our most painful experiences in life\u2014whether death, divorce, or disease\u2014often turn out to create a capacity in us for greater love. What we think is light shows up in what we think is darkness\u2014and vice versa. [1]<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p>Periods of seemingly fruitless darkness may in fact highlight all the ways we rob ourselves of wisdom by clinging to the light. Who grows by only looking on the bright side of things? It is only when we lose our certainties that will we be able to deconstruct our false images of God to discover the Absolute Reality beneath all our egoic fantasies and fears.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Waiting and Unknowing<\/strong><br>Sunday, December 1, 2019<br><em>First Sunday of Advent<\/em><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p><em>Advent&nbsp;<\/em>[meaning \u201ccoming\u201d]<em>, to the Church Fathers, was the right naming of the season when light and life are fading. They urged the faithful to set aside four weeks to fast, give, and pray\u2014all ways to strip down, to let the bared soul recall what it knows beneath its fear of the dark, to know what Jesus called \u201cthe one thing necessary\u201d: that there is One who is the source of all life, One who comes to be with us and in us, even, especially, in darkness and death. One who brings a new beginning.<\/em>&nbsp;\u2014Gayle Boss [1]<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I hope it isn\u2019t difficult to understand why I\u2019m beginning the Advent season reflecting on darkness. [2] I\u2019m not trying to be a spoilsport, but once Thanksgiving is over, we in the United States are rushed headlong into the Christmas season. Yet Advent was once (and still can be) a time of waiting, a time of hoping without knowing, a time of emptying so that we can be filled by the divine Presence. Though you may be wrapping gifts, planning special meals, and spending time with family and friends, I hope you will also take time to allow the Advent darkness to do its work as well.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Not knowing or uncertainty is a kind of darkness that many people find unbearable. Those who demand certitude out of life will insist on it even if it doesn\u2019t fit the facts. Logic and truth have nothing to do with it. If you require certitude, you will surround yourself with your own conclusions and dismiss or ignore any evidence to the contrary.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The very meaning of faith stands in stark contrast to this mindset. We have to live in exquisite, terrible humility before reality. In this space, God gives us a spirit of questing, a desire for understanding. In some ways it is like learning to \u201csee in the dark.\u201d We can\u2019t be certain of what\u2019s in front of us, but with some time and patience, our eyes adjust, and we can make the next right move.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The Gospel doesn\u2019t promise us complete clarity. If God wanted us to have irrefutable proof, the incarnation of Jesus would have been delayed until technology and science could confirm it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Scriptures do not offer rational certitude. They offer us something much better, an entirely different way of knowing: an intimate relationship, a dark journey, a path where we must discover for ourselves that grace, love, mercy, and forgiveness are absolutely necessary for survival in an uncertain world. You only need enough clarity to know how to live&nbsp;<em>without<\/em>&nbsp;certitude! Yes, we really are saved by&nbsp;<em>faith.<\/em>&nbsp;People who live in this way never stop growing, are not easily defeated, are wise and compassionate, and frankly, are fun to live with. They have a quiet and confident joy. Infantile religion insists on certainty every step of the way and thus is not very happy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em><strong>Summary: Week Forty-eight<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Economy: Old and New<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p><em>November 24&nbsp;&#8211; November 29,&nbsp;2019<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>To understand the Gospel in its purity and in its transformative power, we have to stop counting, measuring, and weighing. We have to stop saying \u201cI deserve.\u201d Can we do that? It\u2019s pretty hard . . . unless we\u2019ve experienced infinite mercy and realize that&nbsp;<em>it\u2019s all a gift<\/em>. (<a href=\"https:\/\/email.cac.org\/t\/d-l-xddtitt-yhltihduht-r\/\">Sunday<\/a>)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>We are starving for spiritual nourishment. We are starving for a life that is personal, connected, and meaningful<\/em>. \u2014Charles Eisenstein (<a href=\"https:\/\/email.cac.org\/t\/d-l-xddtitt-yhltihduht-y\/\">Monday<\/a>)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>The free market consumer ideology has produced a social disorder; people are no longer embedded in a culture that serves the common wealth, the common good.&nbsp;<\/em>\u2014Peter Block, Walter Brueggemann, John McKnight (<a href=\"https:\/\/email.cac.org\/t\/d-l-xddtitt-yhltihduht-j\/\">Tuesday<\/a>)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>Ironically, the success of free enterprise capitalism depends upon moral values, such as honesty and compassion, that are borrowed from elsewhere. Without such supporting values, free enterprise (or any other economic system) would eventually self-destruct through its own excesses.&nbsp;<\/em>\u2014Arthur Simon (<a href=\"https:\/\/email.cac.org\/t\/d-l-xddtitt-yhltihduht-t\/\">Wednesday<\/a>)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>Rather than scarcity\u2019s myths that tell us that the only way to perceive the world is there\u2019s not enough, more is better, and that\u2019s just the way it is, the truth of sufficiency asserts that there is enough for everyone. Knowing there is enough inspires sharing, collaboration, and contribution.&nbsp;<\/em>\u2014Lynne Twist and Teresa Baker (<a href=\"https:\/\/email.cac.org\/t\/d-l-xddtitt-yhltihduht-i\/\">Thursday<\/a>)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Relationships are our most powerful and reliable 401k. I\u2019m not saying I don\u2019t believe in universal health care, social security, or other public services, but I do think Jesus is saying the real security system is how we relate, how we love. (<a href=\"https:\/\/email.cac.org\/t\/d-l-xddtitt-yhltihduht-d\/\">Friday<\/a>)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Practice:&nbsp;<strong>Activism as a Spiritual Discipline<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p><em>Pope Francis often says, \u201cThis economy kills.\u201d&nbsp;<\/em>[1]&nbsp;<em>The divide between the wealthy and the poor in the United States continues to grow. A handful of billionaires are literally \u201cmaking a killing,\u201d while millions who live below the poverty line are \u201cmaking a dying,\u201d and very few make a fair living. Just one tangible example: without access to affordable health care, roughly \u201c40 percent of Americans [take] on debt because of medical issues.\u201d&nbsp;<\/em>[2]<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>How might we participate in co-creating a new economy that is more equitable for all? Jim Wallis writes, \u201cWhile it is good to protest, having an alternative is better.\u201d&nbsp;<\/em>[3]&nbsp;<em>And as you may have heard me say before, \u201cThe best criticism of the bad is the practice of the better.\u201d More and more companies are practicing fair trade, reducing waste, using renewable resources, and investing in healthy communities and ecosystems.&nbsp;<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>The title of Sharif Abdullah\u2019s excellent book,&nbsp;<\/em>Creating a World that Works for All,<em>&nbsp;is an invitation to us all to participate. In the following excerpt, he invites us to a lifelong practice of the better, the art of being a \u201cMender\u201d who consciously seeks out opportunities to practice interconnection and interdependence with other beings, which are indeed foundational to any new economy. Abdullah writes:<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Being a Mender, an activist for an inclusive society, is a spiritual discipline. We practice a different kind of spirituality: the spirituality of turbulent times [<em>what Barbara Holmes calls crisis contemplation<\/em>]. Working to alleviate suffering is the way we practice our faith. We try not to act from anger or fear. We act because, in this life we have been given, we believe we can help make things better.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Acting out of compassion to lessen suffering and improve the lives of others is the way we celebrate the Spirit. Knowing that each of our acts, however small, builds the vitality of the Web of Life brings us joy, satisfaction, and power.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In the Spirit-driven model, it doesn\u2019t matter whether a person is \u201csuccessful\u201d in changing the condition. While practical goals are important, the spiritual goal is to awaken the compassion that lies at the root of all change. \u201cSuccess\u201d doesn\u2019t mean I\u2019ve saved an endangered species or cleaned up a toxic waste dump or fed hungry children. Success means awakening myself in the Spirit that can help make a better life for others. Success means I have acted in the world as though I were a part of it, not apart from it. Success means becoming conscious of and faithful to my values and to my soul. [4]<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>We are Menders [when] we believe the Earth and our fellow humans need to be healed from the excesses of exclusivity, and we live our daily lives in accordance with this belief. . . . Our goal is to live as a consciously integral part of a living, conscious, and sacred planet. [5]<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>You can cultivate Mender skills by developing the following:<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul><li>Your Mender self seeks to transcend the individual self, and desires transcendent experiences.<\/li><li>Your Mender self is holistic and ecologic, desires peace and sustainability, and thinks in terms of global realities.<\/li><li>Your Mender self desires to practice compassion\u2014for self, others and the more-than-human environment.<\/li><li>Your Mender self celebrates and explores its differences from and similarities to The Other. [6]<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><em>How will you practice being a Mender today?&nbsp;<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><br><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Gaining New TractionMonday, December 2, 2019 Experiences of darkness are good and necessary teachers. They are not to be avoided, denied, run from, or explained away. Even if we don\u2019t experience clinical or diagnosed depression, most of us will go through a period of darkness, doubt, and malaise at some point in our lives. I [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[1],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/co2mannatoday.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/18440"}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/co2mannatoday.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/co2mannatoday.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/co2mannatoday.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/co2mannatoday.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=18440"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"http:\/\/co2mannatoday.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/18440\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":18443,"href":"http:\/\/co2mannatoday.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/18440\/revisions\/18443"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/co2mannatoday.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=18440"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/co2mannatoday.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=18440"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/co2mannatoday.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=18440"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}