If you\u2019ve been around the Western church franchise for any length of time you have probably heard the phrase, \u201c\u2026the dark night of the soul.\u201d It is supposed to reflect the deep, intense longing for communion with the Divine during a time of perceived absence. These times are often when one is dealing with issues which are very overwhelming to the psyche.<\/p>\n
I\u2019m going to state this simply: This is a false statement.<\/p>\n
To claim this as truth is to ignore what is the source of the soul and to ignore what darkness is really acting.<\/p>\n
Let me start with this: You are, have always been, and will always be a child of the Light. The fourth gospel tells us that the darkness cannot comprehend the Light. This Light is encased within you; it is the spark which the Divine ignited in you and burns every moment of every day. We call this Light the Soul, the intimate connection, a fractal of the eternal God in a mortal shell.<\/p>\n
Light is. Darkness is not. Enter a dark room, flip a switch, and darkness cannot comprehend what just happened. The Soul does not have a switch to turn itself on or off. It is always radiating The Light from the Source. You can\u2019t turn off the sun, so why think you can do that to your Soul?<\/p>\n
This is going to mess with a lot of people\u2019s theology but most, if not all, of the teachings within the Western church today are ego-driven. The egos of the \u201cfive-fold\u201d ministry are feeding into the egos of the laity. You might disagree but the only darkness that can be claimed in the life of a believer is what they have accepted from \u201canother\u201d voice saying, \u201c\u2026this is what darkness is.\u201d<\/p>\n
You go to a leader and tell them how you\u2019re experiencing a tremendous amount of pressure, and you\u2019ve been seeking an answer from God but haven\u2019t heard anything for weeks, if not months. Often this leader will claim that you\u2019re possibly going through a \u201cdark night of the soul.\u201d You\u2019ll be directed to stay the course, don\u2019t lose your faith, it will soon be over.<\/p>\n
This entire scenario is an exercise in ego management. First, your ego believes that it doesn\u2019t have an ability to properly connect directly with the Divine, so it goes to an intermediary, whose ego has claimed them to be superior in just these types of matter. Since this intermediary does not possess the skills to guide you in how to connect with the Divine, they push away the pleas with some talk about how this is just the process of being a believer and everyone goes through it. Their ego is bolstered because you came to them in a time of need and reassurance and your ego is soothed knowing that others have endured this same trial and prevailed (somehow following the same method).<\/p>\n
Understand this: Your ego is a survival mechanism of your mind. Don\u2019t believe me? Consider this: in the midst of all the turmoil that you\u2019re going through with everything and everyone bearing down on you, what is the worst thing that could happen? Some of you might say, \u201cI could die!\u201d So why not die? At least then you get to finally experience the heaven you\u2019ve been singing about in church.<\/p>\n
Now I recognize how this might seem a bit crass, even rude in some circles of influence. However, if you balk at this notion placed before you, could it be because you\u2019re just trying to\u2026survive? Your ego is not ready to give up. You think you can find some way to get over, across, through, or around this thing. Admit it: This is about YOU, not GOD!<\/p>\n
Can you now see how the only part of you which has a dark night is your ego? Simply put, your ego doesn\u2019t know it all, and any lack of knowledge is the darkness called ignorance, or incomprehension. The soul, on the other hand, has a direct connection with God who is all-knowing. Connect with your soul, God provides the answer. No delays like in the days of a dial-up internet connection.<\/p>\n
It\u2019s my responsibility as a teacher to explain to you now what the ego-laden leaders can\u2019t offer to you. Understand this: you are in a battle of your mind. No, this has nothing to do with the demonic. It has everything to do with what you\u2019re focused upon. Your focus is on a continuum with distractions and chaos on the left, and peace that passes all understanding on the right. (Trust me, this is not a social\/political observation.) You stand somewhere on this continuum, probably more left of center than in the middle.<\/p>\n
Your Soul operates on the right side while your ego is trapped on the left. What you need to do is tap into your Soul, which is the easiest thing to do once you overcome the difficulties of allowing your ego to run your thoughts and mind. Welcome to the paradox of the spiritual life \u2013 being in this world, but not of it.<\/p>\n
Your remedy is to meditate. Easy to say, difficult to do \u2013 in the beginning. It is a process, and you have to let the process do its work if you want to see results. Most people shy away from meditation because they have heard that you need to dedicate 20-30 minutes a day to it. Let\u2019s face it, these days no one has that much time to devote to this. (In case you missed it, that claim is known as, \u201cbeing in the world\u201d and is dark-minded.)<\/p>\n
Consider for moment, if you wanted to run a marathon, but have never even learned how to buy the proper shoes for such an endeavor, would you even consider running when your feet and ankles are all swelled up after running around the yard in that 15-year-old pair of tennis shoes you had stuck in a box in the back of your junk closet?<\/p>\n
You\u2019re a newbie. I get it. So, let\u2019s start this off right. Your maximum meditation time to begin with is going to only be 60 seconds. Yup, one minute. You\u2019re going to try on your mediation shoes. You\u2019re going to get a feel for this and shortly you\u2019ll get the nerve up to jog around a bit and maybe go for 90 seconds or two minutes. But for now, stick to the one-minute mark. Oh, yeah. Try doing this at least six times a day for your opening week. There are, however, some particulars you need to address.<\/p>\n
The first thing you need is a quiet place to sit or stand. It can be a closet, your bedroom, heck, even the bathroom. You just need to keep the outside distractions away. Once you\u2019ve found your quiet place, close your eyes, take a couple of deep breaths, and then\u2026<\/p>\n
Yeah, here is where the interior distractions kick in. Your mind is going to start racing with thoughts. The goal here is not to engage with the thought. Just let it pass by. When the next one comes by, rinse and repeat, over and over again. Yes, this is what is going to happen.<\/p>\n
Most people can\u2019t take this. They are so used to engaging with every thought they have that to disconnect from them is tantamount to abandoning their identity. Your thoughts are not who you are, your Soul is, and you\u2019re trying to raise It on the intercom of silence.<\/p>\n
Yes, SILENCE<\/strong>. There are far too many people, believers and nonbelievers alike, who have never experienced the phenomenon of interior silence. The Psalms states, \u201cBe still and know that I am God.\u201d<\/em> This interior silence is where you will connect with your Soul and God. It won\u2019t happen overnight. This, as I\u2019ve stated, is a process. You have to learn how to quiet the inner thoughts and achieve inner silence.<\/p>\n This is what Jesus said is your, \u201c\u2026closet to pray in.<\/em>\u201d Don\u2019t under any circumstance think that once you achieve this state that you can start talking to God in prayer! BE STILL! There is not one thing you can say or whine about that God did not know about before your got there. Just be still and listen. For 60 seconds, 90 seconds, 2 minutes, however long you need. If you get nothing but a sense of peace, you moved a little to the right. Do it again.<\/p>\n That\u2019s it. Nothing hard or a multitude of steps to remember. All that is required of you is to keep doing it. If you forget to do it once or twice, it\u2019s no big deal. Step right into where you left off.<\/p>\n Warning:<\/strong> This will change you. It won\u2019t happen all at once, but over time there will come a distinct change that even those around you will notice. Realize that their darkness will have difficulty comprehending the light emanating from you. But it\u2019s okay. What\u2019s the worst thing that could happen?<\/p>\n Here is something to help you along the way:<\/p>\nLight of Silent Prayer<\/strong><\/em><\/h3>\n