Joy Is A Shining Spiritual Mountain

today morning as i explored some neighborhoods on my morning constitutional i was thinking about the city of boston. after having been away for so long, i am seeing and feeling the city differently. after 10 weeks on the road, singing praises to god, meeting people everywhere, celebrating the goodness of life with total strangers, the city feels sad. looking around it seemed like so many of the folks i saw were heavy with worry, or boredom, or confusion. something that is perhaps familiar to all of us. and i began to think of all the things that might might make us feel weighed down. lack of change, fear of not having enough, guilt, dissatisfaction... the list can go on and on, but mostly it is about feeling trapped in a life that doesnt isn't up to snuff.

it all seemed so wrong, so pitiable, after spending all fall so joyfully.

as i thought about i remembered this line from isaiah, "And he [God] will destroy in this mountain the face of the covering cast over all people, and the veil that is spread over all nations." certainly that "veil" is the weight of sadness or fear, missing the boat of life's goodness. and in this verse from isaiah we have the indication that it is God who takes away that fear and sadness.

as i walked i prayed, thinking of the opposite of sadness - the perfect joy of god. it is in spirit. it is not found in matter, in the flesh, or in human will. that perfect joy which is the destruction of the "covering cast" is spirit.

i have come to love the feeling of spirit burning away some bad thing in my thoughts. and this morning, as i thought about the joy of god, and its being only in spirit, i loved that all the people i saw were actually in spirit. i am learning to base my life and thoughts on spiritual joy, and i love to feel its radiant light actually burning away sadness. nothing can keep us from joy. it is the nature of all of us to feel that joy of life - not as fleeting, but as the very rock of life. in fact, i began to see in my mind's eye, an image of that rock that IS joy. it was a beautiful crystal, filled with colors, and we were all standing on it. it was one of this mornings wonderful gifts of the spirit.

i am resolved to be a window for joy, and let joy do its beautiful work. we can grow out of sadness!