The bright, winter sun comes slicing through the window making pools of golden warmth on the floor. Our yellow tabby cat, aptly named Gabriel for the angel-winged pattern that graces the space around his eyes, moves with intention to settle into the shaft of light. Settle. This is today’s word in the Lenten journey. Settle. How will the photographers interpret this word, show its movement, its action/nonaction? I wonder.
When Gabe does this movement into the light that moves slowly across the floor, I am always filled with envy. I, too, would like to settle into the always moving, expanding light. I, too, would like to allow my body the act of simply being in the gift of this warm and nurturing place. I have often even remarked out loud to him something like…”Well, of course, that is exactly what you should be doing.” I am envious of his ability to settle into the moment and follow the path of the day as it makes it visible journey from light to dark.
Most often the kind of settling I am more familiar with comes in being ok with the lesser of two or more choices. I settle for a sandwich with mustard instead of mayonnaise…fewer calories. I settle for waiting for the movie to come to a theater that has discount prices rather than seeing it the first weekend. I settle for a quick walk rather than a longer time at the gym. These are first world settings, I am well aware.
But our cat Gabe’s kind of settling has always been something I have relished watching. It always makes me think of how, as humans, we want to follow the light. We want to find that place where we can rest, where we can settle down and just be. But life gets messy or the light shifts and we either have to move or risk being in the dark. This is a never-ending dance, isn’t it?
When I think of the scripture stories we might hear in these days in the Christian household, these days we call Lent, there are many in which the people wanted to settle down in the light and glow of being around this Jesus. They wanted to just hang around in the path of his light and go along for the ride. But life intervened and things got messy…and then scary…and then down right dangerous. They soon figured out that to survive they could not settle. They actually had to take his message within and allow its light to become a part of their deepest self. And, in truth, it was his intention all along.
“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.” Jesus says these words in the Gospel of Thomas.
Settle? Where are you with this word? Chasing after the light or becoming the light? All good questions for Lent.