There Is Only Light

I began my morning meditation with this thought from Eknath Easwaran: 

"So when we see someone seated in a corner with closed eyes, completely absorbed in meditation, it is wise to remember that he or she is not just a friend or relative, but someone through whom the Lord is beginning to do his work."*  

 About ten minutes into my meditation time, construction began on our streets.  Large trucks rolled in. The sound of brakes and shifting gears filled  the air as the drivers had to back up and go forward several times to get into position. Then the jack hammers arrived. It actually seemed rather humorous, because my own mind is so chatty. However this is a lot of external noise for 7:00 a.m.  As I continued to sit, I wondered where God might be in all of this construction and racket.  Almost immediately, the beautiful Psalm 139 came to mind: 

"Where could I go to get away from your spirit? 

Where could I go to escape your presence?

If I went up to heaven, 

you would be there. 

If I went down to the grave, 

you would be there too! 

If I could fly on the wings of dawn, 

stopping to rest only 

on the far side of the ocean -

even there your hand would guide me, 

even there your strong hand 

would hold me tight."

Psalm 139:7-10 (CEB)   

 

Meditation is not just about retreating to serene places, as much as many of us love to do that. We must learn to carry our serenity with us because the world will always be the world and we are of it. I am grateful for this morning's time of sitting in the Eternal Presence.  I was reminded that jack hammers and the human mind are no match for eternity. 

Today, I will visit two communities that SpiritCare serves. I would appreciate your prayers as we discern how to move forward. We cannot really go back to "the way things were". That is an illusion. Yet, God beckons. May we respond with hearts open and steadfast love. Your support and love are invaluable and I thank you.

 

*Like a Thousand Suns, The Bhagavad Gita for Daily Living, Volume 2, page 66

Eknath Easwaran has been a steadying influence for me during the pandemic. His biography of Gandhi helped me understand that Gandhi was able to do the work he did because he fell in love with the teachings of The Bhagavad Gita which Gandhi lovingly referred to as "Mother Gita" - truly the Living Word for him. Easwaran's translation of the Gita is beautiful. Easwaran passed in 1999, but I am certain I have dreamed of him and it is a rare day when I do not read some of his writings. 

   

photograph:  San Leandro, May 2021. I call this, "There Is Only Light." The shadows seem impossible, but there they are. Yes, this is our journey as well. 

 

photograph:  San Leandro, May 2021. I call this, "There Is Only Light." The shadows seem impossible, but there they are. Yes, this is our journey as well.