Sunday, July 08, 2007

Does She Have The Spark Within?

In a recent post on the Palm Tree Garden Forum, it was asked if questionable people (such as JZ Knight/Ramtha, who was mentioned in the topic itself) have a Spark of Light within, and if then we should honour that Spark within these people, who may be misguided, corrupt, or even worse.

The answer is, of course, yes. She does have a Spark within. Even that most abhorrent of individuals, Adolf Hitler, does (or did, at least). When we conceive of everyone as having a Spark of Light, a Divine Flame, within them, we cannot go back on that conception when we encounter evil or iniquity in people. Even the most evil of people have a Spark of Divinity within them – no, they may not be using it, or may not be in any way in touch with that Light, but it is there all the same, buried beneath the layers of deception and cruelty (among other things) they (and society around them) have built up over the years.

Let us consider a few passages from the Gospel of Thomas for illumination on this:

“If you bring forth what is within you, what you bring forth will save you. If you do not bring forth what is within you, what you do not bring forth will destroy you.” (Thomas, 70)

What you bring forth from within you is the Spark of Light, and this Spark is your Salvation. If you do not bring forth the Light of this Spark, then you live in a world of Darkness, and this Darkness will destroy you and those around you. Indeed, for the case of Hitler, it was not merely the failing to bring forth the Spark of Light within him, but the rejection of the Sparks of Light within others (the Jews in particular) that led to such evil and destruction.

“Light exists inside a person of light, and he shines on the whole world. If he does not shine, there is darkness.” (Thomas, 24)

We are all people of the Light, for there is a Spark of Divinity in us all. If we do not shine, however, then there is Darkness. It is the task of people everywhere, in whatever manner is possible to them, to let the Light of their Divinity shine forth to repel the Darkness and illuminate the world.

6 comments:

Andrea (Acolyte) said...

"We are all people of the Light, for there is a Spark of Divinity in us all. If we do not shine, however, then there is Darkness. It is the task of people everywhere, in whatever manner is possible to them, to let the Light of their Divinity shine forth to repel the Darkness and illuminate the world."

Dean,

This is a wonderful post. It not only demonstrates insight, but compassion towards those who are either misguided or who don't even know they have that divine spark within.

For me the best thing I can do for others is say a simple prayer for them.

Thank you for sharing.

Andrea

Frater Yechidah said...

Thank you Andrea. I believe it is vitally important that we honour the Divinity innate in all people. There is a general conception of Gnosticism as elitist, but I think the fact that many Gnostics do recognise these Sparks of Divinity within all people, great and small, betrays that misconception.

May the Sparks of God shed Light in the dark corners of the world and the dark corners of our soul.

-D

Veritas said...

Well said Dean and Andrea!

Anonymous said...

What if cultivation of your own "Spark of Light" means that you have to let go of the notion that other people are at all evil or misguided?

Frater Yechidah said...

You seem to have taken a very defensive position on this, Tim. I wasn't saying that all other people are evil and misguided, but to deny that some of the billions of people on this earth are misguided is, in my opinion, a position of ignorance. Do you, for example, believe that ignorance exists in this world? Do you believe that some people are ignorant (of their own divinity, for one)? This ignorance is an example of misguidedness. Being misguided is a huge step away from being evil, and, of course, no one is "evil", per se (even Hitler), though it's convenient for us to classify some (like, again, Hitler) as evil in order to both understand and condemn the "evil acts" that they have committed, as a result of ignorance and misguidedness, among other things.

If you want to believe that no one in this world is misguided, then by all means, do as you will. However, I would suggest that you not be so self-righteous to dismiss the belief that others (like myself) have in the misguidedness of some of the human race. I would also ask that you try to understand my use of the term "evil" here instead of making judgements on your own preconceptions of what that word means. On a final note, I am the only person who can know what is necessary for the cultivation of my Divine Spark, and while it may not agree with the requirements for your own, it is no lesser or greater a task.

With much Love and Light,

-D

Paul said...

Hi,
you don't know me, but I enjoy your reading your blog from time to time.
Excellent post. I've always thought that when people are acting so ignorantly, than that is when they are learning their darkest and hardest lessons on the path of return to the Divine. Granted they may not fully learn the errors of their ways untill many lifetimes later.
-Light, eips