Shine Without Ceasing

It’s a time of division. This is true. I write this Chaplain’s Corner before the results of the presidential election. I write this in a time when friends and families are torn, an era ripe with anger and reaction. I write this to a reader whose heart may be heavy, one who looks outside and sees chaos and uncertainty. This I have to say—be the Light.

The mystic Sufi poet Rumi says, “If everything around you seems dark, look again, you may be the light.” And so we, the peacemakers, must be that light. Dear reader, please don’t assume that I mean for you to be neutral, or that I mean not to stand up against oppression. No, that isn’t what I mean at all. On the contrary, I urge you to shine where darkness lives. The shining includes standing up for those who are scared, marginalized, and hurt, those who have been left behind. Remember that light heals. 

The shining also includes showing compassion in all places where love seems snuffed out. Rekindle the flame of goodness. If the space you find yourself in is thick with frustration, division, or even hostility, may you serve as a grounding force that stabilizes, encourages dialogue, and reminds others of our common humanity. I ask this of you as I write on a day full of rain, the kind of day that reminds us to slow down, take a deep breath, and seek solace in a cup of tea or in a letter to a loved one. Sometimes all we need to do is slow down our thoughts, resist our proclivity for quick reactions. Be that calming presence.

Heated words and sharp criticisms may seemingly abound. These declarations come from fear. Guard yourself from fear. Look at each other as part of the same. I find great comfort in pantheism, the belief that The Divine lives within all. I find that life is about remembering, and each day I work to remember this particular belief—that each person, animal, plant, tree, rock, river, and ocean is holy. What a blessing it is to be here together on this sacred journey. 

We find ourselves living through a pandemic and saturnine politics. It is easy to forget light and to live in darkness. Yet the world has always been filled with souls who shine the way forward, and I challenge you, kind reader, to shine on. Shine without ceasing.