greatness.

"Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won't feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine, as children do. We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It's not just in some of us; it's in everyone. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others." - Marianne Williamson from "A Return To Love: Reflections on the Principles of A Course in Miracles"

Cheers to the people in my world who are daily encouragements to me--the ones who live their lives in ways that in turn give me permission to do the same.

If Christ speaks of his body as the temple that was destroyed and rose again in three days, and Christ lives inside of me, and you, and all who profess their faith in him, then there is greatness inside of us all!

And I have found my God again
I have relocated His temple
After a long and perilous journey
I once again reside with Him
I have found Him where he has always been:
Deep inside of me.
I once again reside within myself
And see with the heart I was given
I can sing with my hands
And dance with my mind
Paint with my eyes
And compose with my tears.
There is a greatness I always felt was inside of me.
I am certain you have felt it too.
We seem to confuse it with the calling of earthly fame.
It is a calling.
It is Him.
He is calling your name.

by Christina DeAnn, 2006

We are His temple. And just as Jesus cleared the temple in Jerusalem of the livestock and money changers, He seeks to clear us out as well. Do not cling to the things of this world because you are used to them. Let them go! Let Him drive them from within you. Do not be afraid. Do not be afraid of greatness. Do not be afraid of being overcome with light. Allow the chains to be stripped from your wrists and legs, be no longer hindered by insecurity, shame, anger, sadness, addictions, (the list goes on!). Do not hide behind theology and scholarship!

Soren Kierkegaard wrote:

"The matter is quite simple. The Bible is very easy to understand. But we Christians are a bunch of scheming swindlers. We pretend to be unable to understand it because we know very well that the minute we understand it we are obliged to act accordingly. Take any words in the New Testament and forget everything except pledging yourself to act accordingly. My God, you will say, if I do that my whole life will be ruined. How would I ever get on in the world?

Herein lies the real place of Christian scholarship. Christian scholarship is the Church’s prodigious invention to defend itself against the Bible, to ensure that we can continue to be good Christians without the Bible coming too close. Dreadful it is to fall into the hands of the living God. Yes, it is even dreadful to be alone with the New Testament."

Might we be strong enough to pray that God would seach us and know us, to see if there be any offensive way in us and lead us in the way everlasting. [Psalm 139: 23,24]. May we not be afraid of our greatness. As Marianne wrote: "We are all meant to shine...We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us...as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others."

Look around your community. Be inspired. Live in community. Be an inspiration.