The Eye of the Beholder

It’s mid March, and we had a late snowfall last night. Walking the dog this morning was a bit of a surreal experience. The sky was overcast and gray; a thick mist hung low in the air. But the soft, heavy snow hung off the trees like Christmas ornaments. It was the kind of day that was at once both dreary and magical. You could immerse yourself in either depending on your state of mind. I looked up and saw a lone dove near the top of a barren tree. It looked odd, alone in the lifeless landscape. After a short while, a group of doves came to join the other, and they all flew off towards the sun that was just beginning to burn through the haze.

Life is kind of like that. Optimism is a crucial part of spirituality. We have the power to choose the world we live in by cultivating the right kind of feelings. The Light, that pure goodness within each of us, is the key. When the Light shines bright within us, it also casts its soft light on the world we see, and all glitters with gold. As I’ve said before, the Light allows us to see the wonder of the ordinary. When the Light shines within, both the ordinary in the world around us and the ordinary fact of our own lives shine like facets on a diamond. Do you understand how magical your consciousness, your being, is? Sometimes we get bogged down with the pace and frustrations of daily life. If we step back, take a deep breath, and allow the Light to shine, the wonder returns. Life is often a struggle. It’s difficult or impossible to always maintain a perfectly loving heart. But the end of spirituality is the beginning, the striving, the constant return to the Light. And each new beginning is as beautiful as the last. Do you choose to see the world through a gray haze or do you see the wonder of a new fallen snow?

We also have the power to change our external world. The Light runs through each of us. It shines in varying degrees, but it cannot be extinguished. We are all connected in a lattice, through which the invisible hand of the Light works. And goodness is contagious. When one sees the Light shining bright within another, the Light glows brighter within the first. Under the right conditions, goodness has the power to grow exponentially. It’s really up to us. It depends on whether people allow the Light to shine within. It is a choice. But it is possible for the world, or subsets of the world, to change dramatically for the better, through love. Under the warm glow of the Light, we can leave behind our often cold and alienating modern world, as the doves left behind the barren landscape this morning and spread their wings beneath the sun.

© 2005 Kurt Venables      

Who We Are  |  The Founder  |  The Magazine
Join Us!  |  Links  |  Home

Contact Us!  contactus@spiritualityandcommunity.com

© 2003-2005  Spirituality & Community.  All Rights Reserved.