today
on this day when light eclipses dark
on this longest day of the year
I think of the dark night of the soul
of that deep ponderous place
where if feels as if all the life has been
sucked out of one’s soul
where all meaning has collapsed
leaving the rubble of uncertainty and unknowing
there seems no way forward
and the meaning you had before
seems invalid
it is bad enough
that we experience ourselves
these moments of collapse
but it is terrifying when it seems
as if we are in the dark night of society (Rabbi Heschel)
where community crumbles
and even, perhaps,
the dark night of the species (Matthew Fox)
as we face a failing planet
failing compassion
failing democracies
as we see QAnon flourish
and lies canonized
and deficit human beings idolized
and watch the world collapse and burn
around us
even if we find our own small Edens
even if we manage to find our way to some small
island of meaning,
still the darkness looms
devouring the light
acedia sets in
and instead of carrying the weight of glory
we are ground down by the weight of our mortal flesh
in this moment we are driven to the essential questions
Why am I here?
Whom or what will I serve?
I remember the plea of Joshua
Choose this day
Choose this day whom you will serve
That I can do
I will serve the Lord
which is the same as saying “I will serve Love”
and if I serve Love
then I know why I am here
to love
I am here to “do good works” (Paul)
I am here to “do justice, love kindness, walk humbly”
(Micah)
I am here to “love God and love my neighbor as myself”
(Jesus)
I am here to reflect my divine DNA
and show forth the imago Dei
today is a new day
it is the longest day of the year
and this day I will choose whom I will serve
and this day I will remember why I am here
this day, I will walk in the light
today I will try to be light
a light in the darkness
that cannot be put out
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