Click for audio: The Flame of the Soul
Part 1 of 6: Understanding the Complete Soul
“Is a lamp brought in to be put under a bushel, or under a bed, and not on a stand? For there is nothing hid, except to be made manifest; nor is anything secret, except to come to light. If any man has ears to hear, let him hear” (Mark 4:21-23).
The imagery presented in this simple illustration provides an excellent way to understand your spiritual essence, your soul. Blocking the light and warmth of the lamp does not diminish the lamp’s heat or light. Hiding it only obscures the lamp’s radiance. To bring the benefits of the lamp into the room, nothing about the lamp and its light need to be improved. The change that needs to be made involves only the removal of that which obstructs the lamp’s heat and light.
If we think of our soul as the lamp, the room as our life and the bushel and bed as our senses-based self-image, we have an excellent starting place for understanding the spiritual work that is ours to do.
The light and warmth of our soul shines in its full glory at this very moment. We feel its influence as the desire for greater freedom. We long to see in this “room” we call our life, the light and beauty that presently radiates from our soul. We look for it in every corner, in every accomplishment, in every relationship and in every possession we acquire. Yet we do not find it. We assume that the soul is not yet bright enough or warm enough, that our spiritual job is to stoke the flame that will eventually light our life.
The flame of the soul burns at its full strength now. It is the obstruction of the self-image that needs to be addressed. In your time of quiet and throughout your day, hold this simple image of your soul shining in its full glory, its light and warmth penetrating all unintentional obstructions brought on by a false sense of self and spiritual misunderstanding. Jesus said, “Let your light shine.” Remove from beneath the bushel that which is already radiating its complete beauty.