I have heard all my life the story of the creation from the Bible. I was taught it during Sunday School. I have listened and participated in debates concerning the forming of the Earth. However I never picked up on the creation of two distinct lights. In hearing this, I began to question the extent of my knowledge of the Bible. It seems like a pretty easy duplication to pick up on, but somehow in the 19 years of hearing this story, I had missed one of, what I would now consider, the most important parts of the Creation story: the beginning of the soul.
I had always just assumed that the soul had been created along with the human body. I loved how Rabbi Philip incorporated the old legend of how the angels decided where this "light" would go. It was put in the place where we often forget to look. This story might also be another challenge. I think we often times look to other Earthly things to solve our problems. We search out money, fame, and power to fix problems of loneliness, guilt, and unsettled lives. We never think to look for the light. This light was too powerful for the angels to put it in just anything. So it was put into God's most precious piece of work: humans. Maybe this light is a piece of God give to humans to find their way. Maybe we are supposed to look within ourselves, within the human created in the likeness of God, within the light of our heavenly father to find our way. Maybe if we allow this light, this beautiful soul that God created, to overpower us we can find the answers to the worlds problems. Then we could walk in the light toward peace, towards love, towards justice.
I agree that if we truly saw ourselves and others as filled with a divine light that we could find strength to overcome many of our problems. I have a good friend whom I look to for wisdom and one day I was talking about how I find it hard to reconcile many of my actions with my belief and he responded "You're okay, you're following a brighter light than your own star." I think that's a cool way to look at it, but I also think seeing the light within ourselves could change us as well.
ReplyDeleteRabbi Flip spoke of the light. I also really enjoyed this part of his speaking. I believe this "light" inside of us is supposed to be used to show others they too can have the "light". For me it is the "light" God has given me as a follower of him to represent God through me. This "light" should shine in my thoughts, words, and actions. I believe as Christians we should let our "light" shine.
ReplyDeleteI love anecdotes! Little sermonettes if you will! I feel like to story that Rabbi Flip told about the angels hiding the light inside human beings ties in with Shane's idea of namaste, and Heschel's idea of humanity being the holy of holies! It encourages me to think that there is a divine light inside of me that is meant to radiate love to others! It also makes me want to find that light in others... pull it out of them so that I can see the Holy of Holies at work in them!
ReplyDeleteGreat Post Abby! I am the same way with people who believe differently. They intrigue me, and i always make sure to stop and let them explain why they believe what they do. In the beginning of my life i was surrounded by Christians as well, and diversity was scarce throughout my Christain School. However, during High School i found that diversity brought people to believe and have faith in whatever they would like. I do not believe that religion should be forced upon people, and religious diversity is extremely important in our world today. Rabbi Flip was great and his stories were even better. I have never heard that story of the angels before, and it is great way to think about the Holy Spirit within every one God's children. I think that not many people understand the concept of a soul, and just think that its part of us. But i believe and it seems Rabbi Flip believes that God put that there for a reason, so no matter what God is with us and will always be there if we know how to find him.
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