Heart-Light Shining

This mist, this cloud, this darkness into which we go, transcending

knowledge, is the path below which your face cannot be found

except veiled; but it is that very darkness which reveals your face

is there, beyond all veils.

–Nicolas of Cusa

(Christian Mystics: 365 Readings and Meditations by Matthew Fox, p.151)

Nicolas of Cusa (1401-1464) is a Christian mystic who believed that God is incomprehensible to the human intellect. The intellect cannot penetrate “this mist, this cloud, this darkness into which we go.” He believes that God’s face is a mystery, veiled to the mind.

But what happens if we approach this mystery with our hearts, our intuition? Does our intuition contain a spark of the divine through which we could perceive God? A lens of light that dissolves the clouds, scatters the mist, and pierces the darkness? Does the Holy Spirit speak through our intuition . . . at times? This possibility doesn’t negate the necessity of the intellect being shrouded by mist, clouds or darkness. The intellect can burn the soul in the land of the holy . . . if unshrouded.

I like mist-filled, cloud-hidden images, especially in Chinese and Celtic poetry. I wrote the following poem as my response to the above speculation:

heart-light shining

unveiling the path

through the

mist-filled forest

Happy Holidays! I’ll return to posting the first week in January.

Photo Credit: Photo by McD22 at Flickr Creative Commons.