The Light of the World

Put light against light — you have nothing.

Put dark against dark — you have nothing.

It’s the contrast of light and dark

that each give the other one meaning.

~Bob Ross

Every year as I feel the turn of the cosmic wheel and witness the winter darkness descending, I feel a pang of mild dread and a touch of sadness. I’m a fan of neither the dark nor the cold. But the truth is, both those things make me appreciate the warmth and the light, whether that be inside during this season, or outside, when the wheel turns back and I am once again basking in the warmth of both sun and spring.

But this year, I am aware of a larger contrast: the larger cosmic wheel that is simultaneously turning and descending into darkness. I don’t think there’s a person on the planet who isn’t feeling it. And here lies another contrast: As a human being, this darkness feels very heavy, but as spiritual being, I believe this darkness is serving a profound purpose in marshaling what Abraham Lincoln called, “the angels of our better nature.”

My mother sometimes spoke of her experience living through the war years in her small town in Iowa. As dark as those days were, she remembered the way it brought people together: the common purpose, the selflessness, the fight for a world not controlled by power-obsessed, hate-fueled, autocratic dictators.

It is in the contrast of dark and light that we see things for what they are. It is in the darkness that the light is especially bright and particularly vital. And it is in the struggle of holding the tension of these opposites that we expand, break open, and grow. The truth is, enlightenment and growth are never easily achieved, but nothing of deep value ever is.

My hope for us all in this time of both seasonal and global darkness is that we tap into our individual and collective light and hold it to the darkness. I pray that we lean into love, that we extend grace and gratitude, that we choose kindness, stand with the oppressed and dispossessed, speak up for truth and justice, and remember that we do not have to be overcome by the darkness. We can choose to be the light of the world.

KATE INGRAM, MA, CSBC, is an award-winning author, counselor, coach who is passionate about exploring the intersection of spirit and everyday life. Find out more at kintsugicoaching.com or write kate@kintsugicoaching.com