A Pure Diamond

This little point of nothingness and of absolute poverty
is the pure glory of God in us.

It is like a pure diamond, blazing with the invisible light of heaven.
It is in everybody, and if we could see it
we would see these billions of points of light
coming together in the face and blaze of a sun
that would make all the darkness and cruelty of life vanish completely.

~Thomas Merton, The Center of Self

I share a birthday with a friend of mine who lives on the East Coast. He sent me a couple of pieces of Merton’s writings for my birthday. I loved the image of a tiny pinprick of nothingness that shone like a pure diamond, dazzled with that sacred, secret light of Heaven living within each of us. This glory of God makes all things new, all things whole, and all things pure. What if we could see it? How marvelous that would be?

I got a glimpse of that glory on Saturday night as my friends shared their love for me. I knew they were seeing me with the eyes of God, reflecting back to me parts of me that are invisible to me. They made my poverty of spirit and self vanish completely. For all those times when Evil wins at chipping away at my self esteem, they gave me a billion lights to see my soul and my 50 years in ways that I could not. It was a little bit like watching my own, “It’s a Wonderful Life.” I am blessed.

Peace,

Suzanne