Hello, friends! Today I'm sharing my observations of light.
While it's still Lentern time by us, we (in our community) have started paying more attention to soul and observing it.
This post contains my opinions as an Orthodox Christian. I'm not calling myself a spiritual leader, so that is just my opinion, but confirmed with the appropriate citations.
Hello, friend! You can learn more about the author here
While getting older, I see we have got a lot to learn from nature more and more often. It all started after I had to travel far away. Before that, I took life for granted... a bit too long.
But let's not dive into complex word patterns. This post is intended to tell about light - around us and especially within us.
As an Orthodox Christian, I deeply believe there's light within us. Not a wax candle, but something way better if we only want this light to shine.
"Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven."
(Matthew 5:16)
One may ask - why do we need this light? Well, as it is written, it shines to other people. They need it especially. Just like a candle is lit up from another candle, the souls of other people are lit up by our own inner light.
How does it happen? Imagine a lonely elderly person who needs help with their household chores. Once someone helps them out, they become happier. Well, they might not jump to the ceiling. But you can see a slight and warm wrinkly smile appearing on their face. Their eyes become brighter.
Our eyes become brighter too, when someone shows love or compassion to us, don't they?
"It's doesn't happen that often, you know" - one may say. Of course, it happens way more rarely if we do good things not out of love, but out of compulsion, hypocrisy or for the sake of our own popularity.
"But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing,
so that your giving may be in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you."
(Matthew 6:3-4)
"Each one must give as he has decided in his heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver." (2 Corinthians 9:7)
While it might not be that obvious to oneself, people tend to feel others' insincerity more than their own.
But does our eyes shine when we do this? Don't we get discouraged by others' negative opinion, when we do good and we know it is truly beneficial?
Just like the light shines brighter when it's dark, our souls shine even when there's darkness around: when we're misunderstood or when there seem to be many problems around.
But how can we find this light?
"God values deeds according to their intentions. For it is said, "The Lord grant unto you according to your heart" (Ps. 19:5)..." ~ Marcus Eremita
According to our spiritual writers, the way is having a clear consciousness and a willing to do good things for our close ones, that will be beneficial for their and our soul as well. Not of obligation or mercantilism, but because they're just people living under the same sky.
That is all to be said here. Thank you for reading!