Light Up The Darkest Of Places

Light Up The Darkest Of Places

With the skies dark outside and pelting rain, it seemed appropriate that I got a Forward from a nun friend ­ a prayer which says, “Woman of God, let your light shine in the darkest places, where it is impossible to love.“ That was a challenge to me, since I have been feeling unloving to many of late.

The darkest places are often the places of sin, where accumulated hatreds and prejudices have corroded the soul over many years. In what way could I help the divine light to penetrate the darkness? The first thing I thought of was that I could smile more often, to bring cheer all around.

I could be more gracious even if I met with hostility . I could share a biscuit with a friend and I could give them a good book or article to read. Perhaps, I could help an elderly person clear her fridge of old food. I could be feeling uncomfortable and irritated by the noise made by young students in the lift, but I could try to be friendly, not always grouchy .

The list makes me sound like an old woman already , but it is true. I am no longer able to do remarkable things, but the darkest places for me are those just around my little room, where I could still meet the unmet needs of those who are now frail, feeble and in the evening of their lives.

The journey within is the hardest of all because that's where we encounter the most darkness. The same prayer says that God is there for us, always with us, with unconditional love. And so, when I wake up in the morning, I thank Him for the grace of a good night's sleep. I welcome the canteen boy , when he walks in with my break fast tray at the YWCA, whether it is upma, idli, poha or masala dosa. Just as the joys of life have become small ones, the ways in which I spread God's light have become small too.

When I first read the prayer about shining in the darkest places, my thoughts went instantly to working for prisoners, criminals, prostitutes and what have you. Ruminating on it after my afternoon siesta, I began to think differently . The darkness is where I am at the moment. All I need to do is to become a little more human by accepting my flaws and limitations.

It is strange how `holy' people try to be`perfect', when all they are asked to do is to accept their imperfections and work with them to help recreate the world. God's love is after all for `imperfect' human beings like us.

When I look at God's creations, I can see that there are human beings of every shape, size and colour, sometimes even the absurd and ridiculous. So few are `beautiful' in the sense of physical beauty . To love all these is to bring the light of love to the darkest places. Simpler than we thought, isn't it?

This is an ordinary recipe for ordinary folk like you and me. So, now I do not think of `Woman of God' as an awesome title that I can never inherit. In my own little room and with the little I do, I can still be a `Woman of God'. I will live and work quietly and I hope I will die quietly. And I hope to find the gates of heaven opened for me because I smiled often, joked sometimes and gave the canteen boy a small tip for fetching my tea.

Om Namah Shivay