Secret Goodness

Reading "The Wise Heart" by Jack Kornfield.  In it he talks about the idea that "while tending to our suffering is ciritical, this does not eclipse our fundamental nobility."  The point he is making is that all too often we spend all our energy looking at dark side of human nature.  More specifically, we as human beings tend to focus on our "pathology", those things about ourselves that aren't healthy and whole.

Robert Johnson, a Jungian analyst suggests the same thing when he says that we have trouble seeing those things about ourselves that are good.  "Curiously" he writes, "people resist the noble aspects of their shadow more strenuously than he hide the dark sides."

Perhaps this has something to do with the dominating idea of sinfulness that comes from Christian theology.  "All have sinned" writes Paul.  And we all nod and agree.  But the problem is that we are not all bad, any more than we are all good.  We are not "either/or", we are always "both/and".  We are good and bad, weak and strong, sinful and holy.  We cannot ignore our dark side.  But neither can we let it define us.

We are God's children.  Each one of us is "Abba's Child."  We are beloved sons and daughters of God.  Because of the God in us. That sacred presence that is in us as God's children, we must see ourselves as people with value, potential.  We have to seek that deep person.  That person God created us to be.  In that way, instead of always looking back, we can move forward.  Instead of our pasts always becoming our present, we can grab hold of that 'new thing' God wants to bring forth in our lives.

Getting the balance right, between seeing ourselves as those have "fallen short" and those who are amazing, and wonderful and can have liberated hearts is difficult.  Falling out of balance either way, denying our weakness, or denying our capacity, can have its consequences.  But I think most people I know are way more aware of their issues and problem then they are of their strengths, their potential.

The beautiful thing is that when we see the secret goodness in ourselves, something beautiful begins to happen.  We begin to see the secret goodness in those around us.  It is then that we can begin to do what Jesus commanded.  Love God, AND love our neighbors as ourselves.

Blessings