Unity Church of Castro Valley
Sunday Message for May 20, 2007
Dark Night of the Soul
INTRODUCTION
There is an issue that has come up recently that I would like to address. When you have one person mention a challenge, you notice and address it. When you have, then, another person mention the same challenge, it gets your attention. When you, then, have three or more people talking about the same challenge - you know that God is trying to get your attention.
I have had people telling me that they feel like they are in a dark void and can't find God. Others have told me that they can't seem to pray. And still others have said that they are doubting their faith during a hard period of their lives.
So, I would like to talk about the Dark Night of the Soul. Dark Night of the Soul is a term used to describe a specific phase in a person's spiritual life. It is used as a metaphor to describe the experience of loneliness and desolation that can occur during spiritual growth.
The term and metaphysicality of the phrase "dark night of the soul" are taken from the writings of the Spanish poet and Roman Catholic mystic Saint John of the Cross, a Carmelite priest in the 16th century. Dark Night of the Soul is the name of both a poem, and a commentary on that poem, and are among the Carmelite priest's most famous writings. They tell of his mystic development and the stages he went through on his quest for holiness.
The "dark night" could generally be described as a letting go of our ego's hold on the psyche, making room for change that can bring about a complete transformation of a person's way of defining his/her self and their relationship to God. The interim period can be frightening, hence the perceived "darkness". In the Christian tradition, during the "dark night" one who has developed a strong prayer life and consistent devotion to God suddenly finds traditional prayer extremely difficult and unrewarding for an extended period of time. The individual may feel as though God has suddenly abandoned them, or that their prayer life has collapsed.
Bernadette Roberts, author of The Path to No-Self, What is Self and The Experience of No-Self wrote: "In modern terms, the descent of the cloud is actually the falling away of the ego-center, which leaves us looking into a dark hole, a void or empty space in ourselves. Without the veil of the ego-center, we do not recognize the divine; it is not as we thought it should be. Seeing the divine, eye to eye is a reality that shatters our expectations."
MAIN POINTS
A. JACOB
1. DETAIL
There are several stories in the Bible of people going through similar experiences. In the book of Genesis we read the story of Jacob. Jacob lived sometime between the years 2000 and 1700 B.C. Jacob and his brother Esau were twins, but Esau was born first and therefore was the heir apparent to inherit the land of Canaan and the promise to become the patriarch of the nation of Israel.
But, Esau sells his birthright to Jacob for a lentil stew. So when their father is dying, Jacob gets the patriarchal blessing by deceiving his blind father. Esau swears he will kill Jacob - so Jacob is sent off to live with his uncle Laban in Haran and find a wife.
We know that Jacob has started off on a spiritual journey, because Haran means an exalted state of mind. So his journey in that direction represents his reaching out for a clearer spiritual vision.
On his journey Jacob experienced an astonishing heavenly vision. He had stopped to rest for the night and dreamed that he saw angels ascending and descending a ladder suspended between heaven and earth. At the top rung, God himself stood and directly affirmed the promise made to Abraham, Isaac, and now to Jacob, (Genesis 28:13-14) "The land on which you lie I will give to you and to your offspring; and your offspring shall be like the dust of the earth." Jacob had a mystical experience. So we know that Jacob was on his spiritual path and definitely growing.
After about 20 years Jacob returns home with his wives, children, and herds of animals. On his way back, Jacob received word that Esau was coming toward him with an armed force. Jacob began to wonder if his brother was seeking revenge. Would Esau try to kill Jacob and take his possessions? Jacob still had a guilty conscience regarding Esau and he was very much afraid.
Jacob, first, prayed and then, second, sent gifts to his brother to let him know he wanted to make amends. He then sent everyone on ahead of him and spent the night by himself.
(Genesis 32:24-30) "Jacob was left alone; and a man wrestled with him until daybreak. When the man saw that he did not prevail against Jacob, he struck him on the hip socket; and Jacob's hip was put out of joint as he wrestled with him. Then he said, "Let me go, for the day is breaking." But Jacob said, "I will not let you go, unless you bless me." So he said to him, "What is your name?" And he said, "Jacob." Then the man said, "You shall no longer be called Jacob, but Israel, for you have striven with God and with humans, and have prevailed." Then Jacob asked him, "Please tell me your name." But he said, "Why is it that you ask my name?" And there he blessed him. So Jacob called the place Peniel, saying, "For I have seen God face to face, and yet my life is preserved."
This was Jacob's Dark Night of the Soul. It was represented in the Bible as one night - but it is an analogy of the time we spend in the dark night.
The "man" with whom Jacob struggled was his higher self. This is symbolic of the conflict between the human and the divine that takes place in each of us. Even Jesus was tempted in the wilderness.
With Jacob it was a struggle, for he had not yet come into full possession of spiritual powers. His thigh was thrown out of joint but he did not give up. In this case the thigh represents the personal self, which often must suffer a hurt. If we contend with our higher nature, there come times when personal pride is injured, self-esteem wounded, and our strength exhausted.
But we should hold fast to the spiritual even as Jacob did, and cry, "I will not let you go, unless you bless me." God always has a blessing for us in every experience, no matter how trying, and we must not let go of Him until we receive it. Sometimes it seems as if the Lord is bent on deserting us; then our challenge is to hold on until the breaking of the day, or until light comes.
B. ELIJAH
1. DETAIL
Another story in the Bible is that of Elijah, the prophet. The biblical account of Elijah's mission spans some 15 years, from about 865 to 850 B.C. Elijah was constantly fighting to bring the people back to God. Queen Jezebel, who worshipped Baal, was on a mission to kill all the prophets of God.
Elijah tried threatening the King with drought if he wouldn't return his people to the worship of Yahweh. That didn't work. Then Elijah challenged the prophets of Baal to a contest.
They all went up on Mount Carmel, 450 prophets of Baal, 400 prophets of Asherah, and Elijah, the prophet of God. Elijah proposed that the two sides prepare sacrifices but not burn them. Elijah said (1 Kings 18:24) "Then you call on the name of your god and I will call on the name of the Lord; the god who answers by fire is indeed God."
Baal's sacrifice wouldn't burn, but God's sacrifices did. The people standing around killed all the prophets of Baal. Then Elijah prayed and brought rain to end the drought. All of this just strengthened Jezebels resolve to kill Elijah.
So Elijah, though triumphant, runs for his life into the Sinai desert overcome by despair. He ended up under a lonely broom tree in the desert exhausted. An angel appeared, fed him, and told him to travel farther south.
Elijah then makes the 40-day journey to Horeb, the mount of God. There he spends the night in a cave in the grip of despair, darkened by self-pity. Again, the dark night of the soul. (1 Kings 19:9-13) "Then the word of the Lord came to him, saying, "What are you doing here, Elijah?" He answered, "I have been very zealous for the Lord, the God of hosts; for the Israelites have forsaken your covenant, thrown down your altars, and killed your prophets with the sword. I alone am left, and they are seeking my life, to take it away." He said, "Go out and stand on the mountain before the Lord, for the Lord is about to pass by." Now there was a great wind, so strong that it was splitting mountains and breaking rocks in pieces before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind; and after the wind an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake; and after the earthquake a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire; and after the fire a sound of sheer silence. When Elijah heard it, he wrapped his face in his mantle and went out and stood at the entrance of the cave. Then there came a voice to him that said, "What are you doing here, Elijah?"
When Elijah ran from Jezebel he was feeling very sorry for himself, as we sometimes do when things go wrong after we have tried so hard to live in harmony with our spiritual ideal. There is the feeling, at least momentarily, that the Lord has deserted us, and it is such a sickening sensation that we think all is lost and there is no use in going on.
But Elijah received the illumination that there was still something he should do, and so traveled to Mount Horeb. There he received the profound revelation that God is not in the wind, nor in the earth-quake, nor in the fire, but in a "still small voice," in the silence. It was not in the fight, but in the peace and surrender that he found God.
C. JESUS
1. DETAIL
Even Jesus went through his experience of the dark night of the soul. (Matthew 3:16-17) "When Jesus had been baptized, just as he came up from the water, suddenly the heavens were opened to him and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting on him. And a voice from heaven said, "This is my Son, the Beloved, with whom I am well pleased."
Immediately after His baptism Jesus went out into the wilderness. The attainment of a higher consciousness is generally followed by a testing period to give us opportunity to prove that we have accepted and can use the illumination received. The individual consciousness must be disciplined and tested before it can become master of the thoughts.
In the development of the Christ Mind, an entirely new and wider set of ideas and situations has to be met. Jesus' experiences in the wilderness are to show us how to deal with the thoughts and desires of the sense man, and to place them under proper discipline. It requires spiritual discernment and unselfish devotion to the highest Truth to meet and overcome the temptations of the personal consciousness.
It says that Jesus fasted for 40 days and was tempted by the Devil. This is a description of the Dark Night of the Soul. He was not getting his spiritual food for 40 days and the only time you can be tempted by the Devil is when you feel out of touch with God. It says that he hungered. He hungered for his contact with the Father.
Jesus met three temptations within his own consciousness. They are typical of the temptations that come to us when we realize that we have access to spiritual power. How are we going to use this power?
The first temptation is to gain material wealth. God prospers those who trust Him, but to center our whole attention on substance in the form of material supply defeats the purpose of our spiritual gifts.
The second temptation is to perform spectacular miracles. No display of spiritual power for personal glory should be made. We do not heal, so that people will be impressed with our power.
The third temptation is to allow ourselves to be under the dominion of the personal consciousness, or ego. It promises a power that it cannot give, and will pave the way to our own destruction.
We meet all of the temptations of the Dark Night of the Soul by speaking the word of Truth. (Matthew 4:4) "One does not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.'" (Matthew 4:7) "Do not put the Lord your God to the test.'" (Matthew 4:10) "Worship the Lord your God, and serve only him.'"
Know that the night passes and the light will come. The Dark Night of the Soul is not a negative thing, but instead growth towards God. In truth, God never deserts us.
IV. CONCLUSION
I would like to close with the Stanzas of the Soul that were written by St. John of the Cross:
On a dark night, Kindled in love with yearnings - oh, happy chance! -
I went forth without being observed, My house being now at rest.
In darkness and secure, By the secret ladder, disguised - oh, happy chance! -
In darkness and in concealment, My house being now at rest.
In the happy night, In secret, when none saw me,
Nor I beheld aught, Without light or guide, save that which burned in my heart.
This light guided me More surely than the light of noonday
To the place where he (well I knew who!) was awaiting me - A place where none appeared.
Oh, night that guided me, Oh, night more lovely than the dawn,
Oh, night that joined Beloved with lover, Lover transformed in the Beloved!
Upon my flowery breast, Kept wholly for himself alone,
There he stayed sleeping, and I caressed him, And the fanning of the cedars made a breeze.
The breeze blew from the turret As I parted his locks;
With his gentle hand he wounded my neck And caused all my senses to be suspended.
I remained, lost in oblivion; My face I reclined on the Beloved.
All ceased and I abandoned myself, Leaving my cares forgotten among the lilies.
SCRIPTURE: Genesis 28:13-14; Genesis 32:24-30; 1 Kings 18:24; 1 Kings 19:9-13; Matthew 3:16-17; Matthew 4:4,7,10
REFERENCE: Let There Be Light Elizabeth Sand Turner; Dark Night of the Soul St. John of the Cross; Your Hope of Glory Elizabeth Sand Turner
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Last updated
May 21, 2007
