It Only Takes a Spark

A big part of my doctoral studies focused on the fourteenth century Bishop of Thessaloniki, St. Gregory Palamas.  As I continue to study his work as part of my devoted time to God, he brought up something that refreshed my spirit. 

St. Gregory was consumed with getting people to see that they had a larger mission in this world than just surviving and...in just being a "good" Christian. He was adamant that the Scriptures taught that God became man so that man could become "god." This isn't some pantheistic heresy. Actually the statement just made came from Athanasius, the great defender of the faith in the fourth century. 

St. Gregory believed that the image of God in man was not just a wishful type of thinking but a desired reality. He desired men and women to be fully surrendered to God in such a way that they would become "like" God. No created thing can ever become God, that is, His essence, or who He is by nature, but we can become like Him in that we are brought into his divine community through the Holy Spirit. 

O.k....enough of the deep theology....here is what caught my attention today.  "Even the smallest portion of an essence possesses all that essence's powers.  Thus a spark is both brilliant and illuminating, it melts and burns whatever comes close to it, it is self-moving by nature and rises upwards and, in brief, it is whatever fire is. Similarly, a drop of water possesses every quality that water has...a nugget possesses all that the metal itself possesses." 

If we are made to be in the true image and likeness of God, then we possess certain qualities and powers that God has. We are still limited as created beings but there should be so much more to our life than maintaining. Each of us is a spark representing the fire. Each of us is a drop of water taken from a vast, incomprehensible ocean. As the world looks at us as followers of Jesus they should see the fire; they should see the ocean. It dwells within us. 

Perhaps this struck me so deeply today because I am working on the Candle Lighting service for our Christmas Eve celebration. As each candle is lit and we hold our small and insignificant fire in our hands, it shouldn't stay insignificant. Together, as the darkened room begins to warmly glow and "Silent Night" softy sung, we need to remember that in our small effort to shine we are the image and likeness of God. And...we shine more brilliantly when we shine together. 

As a tribute to the 1970's I will now invite you to sing, "Pass It On."  When singing please make sure you do the echo. It will bring back fond memories of church camp and being eaten alive by mosquitoes out in the woods.  Oh...where have all the good songs gone...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tadZ8nCLBsI