Walking in Light and Holy Darkness

"There is a light that can overcome the darkness. There is no darkness that will overcome the light..."

     We've been on retreat. I was deliberately silent, though I thought at first I would blog during the retreat to track our experiences and progress. We went Friday, Saturday and Sunday and now, on Tuesday, I'm only beginning to find my feet.
     I still don't want to go into detail about what we did or what happened, except to tell you that the man who guided us sang to us, beginning and ending every learning session, and often times in the process, because his songs were prayers, gathered and woven from many times and places but always uniquely his. They were mostly in the chant-forms of India, which means that while sung in a language I do not speak, they echo in me, like this morning, waking me and not permitting me to linger in bed. He taught us that the fire of God is within all of us, and through prayer, the fire can take hold.

     There is a light that can overcome the darkness.

     Another reason I can't sleep this morning is because I woke up understanding something about pilgrims. The minute you set foot on the journey, you become a pilgrim. The journey changes you and changes the way you relate to the world. Other cultures understand this, and they treasure and attend pilgrims as visitors from God. Americans don't do this, which may explain why other cultures attract us when we find ourselves "on the road" with God. The teachers become quite comfortable with their pilgrim identity and live neither here nor there, but in the journey, on the road, relying on the kindness and recognition of strangers who see them not as strange, but mobile, though their hearts may be quite rooted in God.
     This whole life is a journey and every one of us is a pilgrim. The only difference among us is that some know and understand who they are, and many don't. The first nice thing about our retreat was the way Father Cyprian introduced us to the world outside of our American experience. He showed us that we can approach the world not as conquerers, but as equals. We can sing each other's songs, we can share our stories, we can walk together for a little while with anyone we meet and be part of one another. It's so much better than shooting guns and making parts out of each other...

     The way of Christ is the way of peace. He came to make peace between God and humanity and thus among all people. But we must understand that peace--the peace that surpasses understanding--is not a one-time event that comes like a bucket of water dumped over our heads. Peace is a journey in which we meet many people, many teachers, in many times and places. Over time we lose track of ourselves and become changed, transformed into vessels for the Divine, who is with us from the beginning, even when we are unsuitable. Poor vessels, to hold such Treasure. But the nature of this life is that, while it is a journey, it is never a solo journey. We begin united with God, and find ourselves in everyone we meet.

     The trick is to keep what we find...