The Root of the Light

Meditation for Tuesday, August 2: Ask for mercy.

In thinking about what to write tonight, a phrase from Christian liturgy came to my mind: Kyrie Eleison. It is Greek for "Lord, have mercy," and it reminds me of the opening of almost every chapter of the Quran, which reads, "In the name of Allah, the Merciful, the Compassionate."

I have noticed sometimes when running that my heaviest burdens come to the forefront of my mind. Perhaps it is because I am alone with myself that I begin to think about things I regret having done, including times I have not been emotionally present with loved ones and times I have lashed out in anger.

To be able to run with a free mind and spirit, we may have to be willing to ask for mercy from those we have caused to suffer.

Although it is not in my own religious tradition, I find the Kyrie to be very moving. The opening lines hearken to God the Mystery, with a simple petition:   

Lord, King and Father unbegotten, True Essence of the Godhead,
have mercy on us.
Lord, Fount of light and Creator of all things,
have mercy on us. 





I appreciate the reference to God in this prayer as the Fount of Light. The petitioner, in chanting the prayer, is beckoning the Light to come near.

To expand on this idea from another tradition, the Tao Te Ching offers that,

The heavy is the root of the light.

The literal meaning of this line is that heavy and light are opposites necessary for one another. But I prefer a more figurative reading: when we become aware of our need for mercy, we may be in a dark place, but that awareness makes us as capable as a root is generative. In that place, we are ready to grow with renewed, inner light.

May you have joy on your run tomorrow, in the knowledge that within you is the root of the Light, and that you are deeply loved.