“There is a crack in everything.
That's how the light gets in.” Leonard Cohen
Where does the light come from? Why does it always find that the dark has been there first?
Take a moment and reflect upon these two questions, and you will discover the essence of this holy time of year, where, in spite of the many outer lights and lit up shopping malls, there is an expanded exchange of inner light as well.
The human eye sees light with the pupil and the retina, and if the light from something outside us enters our eyes, we see the object, because our physical eyes can detect light. There are many kinds of light outside the visible spectrum that the human eye cannot see.
There is a light that comes from inside human beings that is both different and the same as the light that we see with our physical eyes, as all things are interconnected. It is an inner sun that has the capacity to light up the world. This inner light arises from the darkness within us, as it is penetrated by the light that arises out of the darkness within another human being.
This light enters through an opening, the “crack” that Leonard Cohen refers to, that place of receptivity and vulnerability that is part of being human. The outer light then becomes the inner light that is within the spectrum of love that can be experienced by every living thing.
You can cultivate this inner light within you when you allow the light from a beautiful moment in nature, an exchange with your dog, or a heartfelt talk with a friend, to enter into your darkness. The speed of love is a bit faster than the speed of light, so you may not see physical light in these moments, and yet experience a great light within, most often felt in the center of your chest—-the place of the Sacred Heart.
If you place your attention in the center of your chest, and breathe toward the back where your spine is, while you are experiencing your moments with family, eating a delicious meal, or walking the dog, you can become conscious of this sacred exchange of light, which is love. It is always there, a conscious breath away.
Each of us is a house of light on earth. I will close with a poem many of you have heard before, which continues to express this awesome truth:
YOU ARE A HOUSE OF LIGHT
You are a house of light
your sorrow the foundation
grounding you in compassion,
your burdens the rafters
that keep you reaching skyward.
You are a house of light
your kindness the hearth that
warms and feeds,
your fears the walls
that shelter you from the storm.
You are a house of light
your shame the basement
that needs clearing now and then,
your dreams the porch with the wide open view.
You are a house of light
Your anger the fence that says
“No trespassing here,”
your longing the door
that swings wide open
inviting strangers in.
You are a house of light
your despair the staircase you climb each day,
your joy the many windows
through which you see the world anew.
You are architect, builder and dweller within
this house of light which is your life.
The moment you accept everything about yourself
you place the welcome mat at the door of your longing
and the house of your life becomes your home
sweet home.
Kathleen Hanagan
December 26, 2008
