Monday, March 21, 2011

the soul's sphere...

This from William Phillips Tilden's "Leaflet for Lent" For today. May everyone have a week of light and love...

"GOD help us to let shine the light that His own hand, hath kindled; to take away the bushel of our own placing and to put our light on the candlestick God made for it, that it may give light to all that are in the house. The virtue of the light depends upon its power of illumination. Good works are themselves light. Doing comes closer than having. What one has he may lose; but what one does is never lost. No star-lighted heaven speaks to the heart like a heaven-lighted soul, — a soul filled with the echoes of the spirit's voice; a human star, touched with intelligence, warmed with love, knowing the light and love that kindled both. Each soul seems to have a sphere like the atmosphere around the earth, through which there is an outgoing on mystic threads of communication whereby its own light is imparted. There is something in this world to live for that is not riches; something that no flood-tide of prosperity can ever bring, or ebb-tide of adversity take away; something we carry with us wherever we go. It is what we are, our Best. God make that a light to some life!"

1 comment:

David G. Markham said...

This little light of mine, I'm gonna let it shine.

I guess Tilden would argue that it is works not faith that enriches and saves a person.

I like today's reading a lot. The idea of a halo or an aura is a powerful metaphor. It is something no one or no thing can take away from a person.

Second full week of lent and another week without caffeine. I'm dying here physically, but spiritually becoming stronger I hope.

Thanks for today's reading!

David Markham
Brockport Unitarian Universalist Fellowship
Brockport, NY