My wife Jacqueline and I recently flew down to Toulouse, to rendezvous with my youngest daughter Ruby, her husband Simon and my latest grandson Harry; and what a treat it was.
They live in work in Kuwait, but have bought an old farm house in southern France which they intend restoring. Situated two hours west of Toulouse, the Pyrennean countryside is quite stunning. When they finally move in, grandpa may be a regular visitor!
During our frequent visits to France, we find it hard to resist the local markets, the food is amazing, coffee fantastic and there’s always a bargain on the clothing store.
One afternoon, following a hearty lunch at a café in the historic town of Auch (pronounced Osh), just north of Lourdes, we wandered into the local Cathedral. Glancing around the ancient, hushed cloisters, I couldn’t help but recognise something I’ve wondered about for many years.
Everywhere I looked, gold-leafed cherubs blew shiny trumpets proclaiming glory to god on high. Huge paintings depicted angels worshipping everything to do with heaven, and every human effigy bowed low in adoration.
The thing that fascinates me when looking down through history, is mankind’s inability to accept its own glory. We hear it all too often in the old hymns, a desperate attempt to push all the glory away from oneself, and proclaim, ‘Thine be the glory.’
This is indeed fairly odd, because the very first thing ‘God’ is supposed to have done, according to the Bible, is create man in his own image. Meaning the very fabric of whatever god may be, is no different from the inner fabric of man himself. So, what happened to alienate people from their own glorious estate?
The truth is, that god-like fabric (we could call it consciousness or spirit) exists in each person and is very close at hand. The glory is something that the heavens do not mind sharing, but it has become obscured in mankind by the dominance of the mind.
Most people become dragged around by the wiles of the mind without realising they don’t have to; there is a choice. In terms of outlook, the mind is rooted in fear, insecurity, and low self-esteem; ergo, people who equate with it unwittingly think themselves unworthy. But it’s simply not true.
The mind cannot equate with god or consciousness, because it has no access to that realm. Therefore, in projecting all the glory away onto a heavenly being, mankind only increases his alienation. The more glory given away, the less self-worth, and so the cycle keeps repeating itself.
One day Philip asked Jesus, “Show us the Father and we will believe.”
To which Jesus replied, “Have I been so long with you, and you have not seen him?”
When people seek the light, don’t point the finger at heaven, let them find it in you. The light within each of us seeks ways in which to shine. Therefore, I encourage you to put an end to identifying with your mind, step aside from it in simple meditation, and allow the reservoir of light within you to arise.