The Nugget Newspaper - News and Opinion from Sisters, Oregon

If you have ever lived with a cat or a dog through the wintertime, you have noticed how they find every pool of sunlight in which they can safely and comfortably sleep. Seeking comfort, warmth, and peace in the sunlight is where my Scotties go too.

For thousands of years people have searched for light. We know from ancient structures like Stonehenge in England — which is more than 5,000 years old in stone and another 5,000 years older as a wooden structure—that sunlight was valued or even worshiped for something more than just keeping people warm. Some think the structure was used to guide the planting of food crops.

The recently discovered Goseck Circle in Germany — believed to be almost 7,000 years old — like Stonehenge consists of a number of concentric circles. On the winter solstice, the sun’s radiant orb can be seen rising through the southeastern gate, and then setting through the southwestern gate. The gates in each circle get progressively narrower, making the sun’s rays seem more intense the closer you get to the center ring.

In the Holy Bible, light is associated with God. We don’t know if the ancient builders of the aforementioned structures worshiped the sun, or possibly saw the sun as a messenger of the One God.

I say this because years ago I read an interesting book, the author and title of which I don’t remember, putting forth a somewhat convincing argument that most people in very ancient times believed in one god. The transition to worshiping many gods came later. The argument suggested that sun and its light were seen as holy or a sign of God for tens of thousands of years.

Akhenaten, an Egyptian pharaoh who ruled during the 14th Dynasty, remains a unique and controversial figure. The unexpected successor to his famous and powerful father, Amenhotep III — the Magnificent — Akhenaten turned Egypt’s religious practice on its ear, around 1351 BCE, by declaring the worship of one true god, depicting God as an image of the sun with rays radiating from it. He believed the image was simply a symbol of the god but that the true god was invisible.

What I find most interesting in this story is that the Pharaoh believed God had no body to idolize, in a culture that built depictions and monuments to well-defined god images.

Judeo-Christians have long believed that God is light, among a number of other aspects, including God is love, God is life, and God is truth.

Speaking of light and its possible mystic powers, I’ll now share an amazing recent experience. On January 2 I slipped on ice and dislocated my elbow. While at the emergency hospital, they put me under an “awake” anesthesia to reset the elbow. The doctor said I would be able to hear what was going on, but that I would not remember anything once I awoke.

The nurse covered my eyes prior to the procedure because operating room lights are far too bright for my eyes. Soon they asked me to take a deep breath, and quickly after that amazing things began to happen. I could hear the doctor and nurses conversing. Meanwhile a dazzlingly bright light filled my head. Then I saw at least a dozen figures surrounding my bed, looking down at me while the white light shined so brightly that I could not distinguish any of the faces.

As time passed, I could still hear the doctor talking. More time passed with my companions above, and then the light faded to yellow and I began to feel warmth. Finally, the light changed to glistening gold. The most wonderful peace filled me as I felt the doctor working on my arm. I was filled with assurance that the arm was fine. There would be no complications.

I remember everything that happened.

I have never participated in recreational drugs. I’ll admit years ago I wasn’t one to be too sympathetic to Native Americans when they said they needed to keep the right to using peyote for spiritual enlightenment. This event has opened my mind.

Those of us pursuing any kind of a spiritual path soon learn how hard it is to quiet our minds and receive any form of communication with other dimensions around us. It seems to me that whatever was in that anesthesia quieted my mind, giving me a glimpse of more peaceful realms.

I wouldn’t encourage anyone to dislocate their elbow in order to visit such a wonderful place. But this event has forever changed my thoughts about those who think they need help to reach greater spiritual awakening.

The road to light requires faith, love, and an open mind. I sometimes seem to need to be whacked on the side of the head like this, to progress on the issue of openness. My false spiritual pride about peyote, which I did not see up to this point, is now washed away by this event. I’ve taken one more step toward my spiritual goal of releasing condemnation of others. May 2023 be good to you and may your road to light be an easier one than mine!

When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness but will have the light of life” (John 8:12).