A major goal of spiritual practice is to become transparent to a wider, vaster Reality. One form of doing this is to allow ourselves be TRANSLUCENT to a Divine Light that goes beyond the individual self. However - paradoxically - because our Source is blissfully self-emptying, this Light is focused not on itself, but on revealing the glory and beauty of each being - of each of US - in a fresh and unique way.
Another way to put this is to say that the humble God is less a noun, and more an adjective modifying the noun which each of us is at our core. Thus, the Divine is not so much a "Light" (i.e., a noun), but the radiant QUALITY (an adjective) of each and every being. How amazing!
We might imagine that God - in theory - is originally a noun. However, he has forever emptied himself out and taken on the humble form of an adjective. This self-emptying - this kenosis - is one of the great mysteries of spirituality, especially in its Christian mystical version. Here, because of God's enlightening power, each being is thereby able to reveal its traits in a totally unique way. As St. Irenaeus - a second century church father - famously said: "The glory of God is a human being fully alive!"
However, this kind of vision does not lead to a narcissistic preoccupation with the individual's quest for happiness. Instead, our fulfillment - and God's - arises when the light of each of these radiant beings becomes connected to EVERY OTHER being on the planet, and to the ENDLESS number of radiant beings yet to come. Together, all of us unite to become the infinite "glory" of God!
Photo: The sun backlights a Three-leafed Sumac leaf. In the middleground are several groves of Wild Plum. Lory State Park, CO; October 15, 2012
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