Coming Back Into The Light

I want to begin with a deeply poignant story. I don’t know its author…but here it is.

Why did God create evil? A professor at the university asked his students the following question: - Everything that exists was created by God? One student bravely answered: - Yes, created by God. - Did God create everything? - a professor asked. “Yes, sir,” replied the student. The professor asked : - If God created everything, then God created evil, since it exists. And according to the principle that our deeds define ourselves, then God is evil. The student became silent after hearing such an answer. The professor was very pleased with himself. He boasted to students for proving once again that faith in God is a myth. Another student raised his hand and said: - Can I ask you a question, professor? "Of course," replied the professor. A student got up and asked: - Professor, is cold a thing? - What kind of question? Of course it exists. Have you ever been cold? Students laughed at the young man's question. The young man answered: - Actually, sir, cold doesn't exist. According to the laws of physics, what we consider cold is actually the absence of heat. A person or object can be studied on whether it has or transmits energy. Absolute zero (-460 degrees Fahrenheit) is a complete absence of heat. All matter becomes inert and unable to react at this temperature. Cold does not exist. We created this word to describe what we feel in the absence of heat. A student continued: - Professor, does darkness exist? — Of course it exists. - You're wrong again, sir. Darkness also does not exist. Darkness is actually the absence of light. We can study the light but not the darkness. We can use Newton's prism to spread white light across multiple colours and explore the different wavelengths of each colour. You can't measure darkness. A simple ray of light can break into the world of darkness and illuminate it. How can you tell how dark a certain space is? You measure how much light is presented. Isn't it so? Darkness is a term man uses to describe what happens in the absence of light. In the end, the young man asked the professor: - Sir, does evil exist? This time it was uncertain, the professor answered: - Of course, as I said before. We see him every day. Cruelty, numerous crimes and violence throughout the world. These examples are nothing but a manifestation of evil. To this, the student answered: - Evil does not exist, sir, or at least it does not exist for itself. Evil is simply the absence of God. It is like darkness and cold—a man-made word to describe the absence of God. God did not create evil. Evil is not faith or love, which exist as light and warmth. Evil is the result of the absence of Divine love in the human heart. It’s the kind of cold that comes when there is no heat, or the kind of darkness that comes when there’s absence of light.

Never before have we, as a Collective, been so concerned with our own wellbeing.

We’re living in an era that could be encapsulated as “The Individual.” We’re all being encouraged to find out who we are, what we want, and to go and do that.

We’re told that is the recipe for happiness.

And yet, we find ourselves more anxious, more depressed and more lost than we’ve ever been. In a world where we can have and be anything and are encouraged to do so, it seems it isn’t working.

We’ve also never been more secularized. Meaning, we’ve lost our belief in the transcendent; in something bigger than us.

But we are a species that is wired for worship. And when we no longer worship the Sacred, we will find something else to worship.

When that something is not of a transcendent or sacred nature, we will worship the next biggest thing.

For some, that might be technology. For others, that might be money; fame; reputation.

But all of these things have moved the dial in one, singular direction; in the direction of “The Individual.”

Technology, with its billion dollar algorithms works exactly this way. If you watched the documentary, The Social Dilemma, we learned that if a 13 year old boy is gay, the algorithm will know before he might where his sexual proclivity sits.

The algorithm is programmed to watch what you watch, how long you watch it, and what holds your attention next. Its entire job is to figure you out in order to bring you more and more of that information.

I’m not describing some altruistic model that seeks to get to know you without a rather dominant agenda. All of the tech companies with algorithms designed to tap you inner most leanings are doing so in partnership with the advertisers that pay them.

In this model, you’re the product.

Also built into the algorithm is to not only bring you more of the content that you’re already looking at, it brings you more and more extreme versions of that content.

Combine that with the prolific messages that tell us how to become the ‘best versions of ourselves’ and ‘how to level up’ and ‘how to manifest what we want when we want it,’ it’s no wonder that we find ourselves marinating in the era of The Individual.

This is the underpinning of the Narcissist archetype. An abysmal product of ‘never enough.’

But I am going to assert something that flies in the face of this entire model of the The Individual.

We can no longer bear the weight of our individuality.

That, to keep seeking ourselves out, apart from something more profound or sacred, is actually ruining us.

It’s too much. Trying to shape shift, level up, figure it all out, trying to get what we want…it was all meant to usher in more happiness; more fulfillment, right?

But the experiment has failed. Miserably.

At one time, however, we held a shared vision of our world, of our humanity. This vision held the Transcendent as its North Star. We revolved our lives around that which gave Life to everything.

We trusted it to guide us, soothe us, orient us, and light up the path that we were to walk because, on our own, we would surely get lost.

And here we are.

Upon our own insistence, we’ve gotten lost in the woods and we’re still screaming, “I know the way! It must be MY way!”

This is the message we get everywhere we look, every time we open a book or log onto social media. And the message has failed.

And perhaps we had to circle the existential drain in order to burst forth anew.

In the past, when I have hit a wall - which is time and time again - I’ve been invited into Surrender. It’s a scary place to go because you’re no longer in control.

And that’s the whole point.

Yet every single time - and I mean, without fail - that this invitation has entered my experience, something profound has happened.

I’ve seen miracles happen in this space. I’ve been the recipient of such miracles.

If these words and sentiments resonate, I invite you to surrender your own vision for your life; for the life of your loved ones; for the life of the planet.

I would encourage you to begin a practice of Surrender; a bow to the Transcendent.

Be willing to put your life in the hands of its Creator. Take your hands off the wheel.

We’re being called back into a Return To Faith. A surrender of our individualism. A return to the Sacred.

To walk away from the cold and the dark and back into the warmth and the light.