Spirituality Information

Dark Cages


Acknowledgement of our need of God and reliance upon Him will not always rid us of life's pressures, will not always remove from us the difficult situations, the dark cage within which we sometimes find ourselves trapped. We shall not always escape the pressures of life and the dark situations which they bring. But we can, with God, withstand them and find resources for enduring them even when they, for the time being, do not let up.

If we, who are caged within some darkness and are frantic with fear that our situation is hopeless, would only believe, we would know that our heavenly Father is close by to still our fears and to strengthen us for the ordeal through which we are passing. We would know that He is constantly saying to us: "Don't be afraid; just believe."

But how workable is this formula for confident and victorious living in our daily existence? As we journey along the way of the Cross, we cannot avoid the central fact of faith and trust and its confirmation in Christian experience. The central fact is Christ Jesus our Lord. His event in history showed man his highest possibilities. It pointed us to life's deepest and inexhaustible resources for living through and independent of any set of circumstances. It provided us with a firm basis for the Christian belief that our sufferings, temptations, and perplexities, even the hard and oftentimes sudden demands of life, are fully understood and shared by our Lord Jesus Christ.

Through Christ, we have access to an open door of grace and comfort and victory over life's greatest, sometimes unyielding pressures. Freedom from the dark cage of hard times may not happen as a result of our serious thinking or maneuvering, our hardest effort or our best skill, but the key of divine grace and help remains within our reach. All we need to do is pick it up, unlock the cage door, and walk out in the freedom of God's amazing grace.

Rev. Saundra L. Washington, D.D., is an ordained clergywoman, social worker, and Founder of AMEN Ministries. http://www.clergyservices4u.org. She is also the author of two coffee table books: Room Beneath the Snow: Poems that Preach and Negative Disturbances: Homilies that Teach. Her new book, Out of Deep Waters: My Grief Management Workbook, will be available soon.


MORE RESOURCES:

Spirituality, Evidence-Based Medicine, and Alcoholics Anonymous
Am J Psychiatry (subscription) - 2 hours ago
Spirituality is defined by those deeply felt beliefs that give meaning to a person’s life. Although spirituality can be embodied in a religious orientation, ...


Supply-side spirituality
World Magazine, NC - 2 hours ago
Then it also hit me that, though he wasn’t making a theological argument, Gilder had touched on something spiritual, which is that our darkened hearts are ...


Spirituality institute to celebrate first 10 years
Charleston Gazette,  USA - Nov 28, 2008
The West Virginia Institute for Spirituality will celebrate 10 years of service to the community with an open house from 2 to 4 pm Dec. ...
Keeping the faith important in tough times Charleston Gazette
all 2 news articles


Anne Rice shares personal tales of spirituality
The State Journal-Register, IL - Nov 29, 2008
Author Anne Rice’s latest release is a memoir, “Called Out of the Darkness: A Spiritual Confession.” By SUSAN LARSON “I’m not a natural memoir writer,” Anne ...


Journey to find spirituality hits a dead end
Centre Daily Times, PA - Nov 29, 2008
I’d been on a spiritual journey for several years prior to this experience and was getting impatient and disappointed. When I returned home from my visit ...


Exhibit draws on spirituality
Hattiesburg American, MS - Nov 30, 2008
By Kathleen Williams • November 30, 2008 IT'S THE FIRST SUNDAY OF ADVENT, and here is a question: What are you doing to refresh your own spirit during what ...


ABC News

Former Art Professor, 13-Year-Old Daughter Killed in Attacks
Washington Post, United States - Nov 28, 2008
By Kendra Nichols and Emily Wax Twelve years ago, Alan Scherr committed his life to meditation and spirituality, moving his family to the Synchronicity ...
Synchronicity, tragedy and Mumbai GetReligion
2 Virginians, Alan Scherr and daughter Naomi, amongst the many ... New York Daily News
Lives of Alan and Naomi Scherr Celebrated With Words, Tears and Prayer Baltimore Jewish Times
New York Times - Wall Street Journal
all 726 news articles


Boston Globe

Missions of faith end in sorrow
Chicago Tribune, United States - Nov 29, 2008
Twelve years ago, Alan Scherr, 58, committed his life to meditation and spirituality, moving his family to the Synchronicity spiritual community in Faber, ...
Video: NY Rabbi, Wife Among Dead in Mumbai Raid AssociatedPress
A HinJew Target in Mumbai Washington Post
Love the victims, loathe their killers Jerusalem Post
Swampscott Reporter - Times of India
all 2,471 news articles


Spirituality: Students shared their views on spirituality
The Daily Advertiser, LA - Nov 28, 2008
Speaking to teenagers about spirituality isn't the scariest thing I've ever done, but it comes close. While it didn't qualify for hostile fire pay, ...


Spirituality Fair Held at Local Springfield Hotel
Ozarks First, MO - Nov 29, 2008
Many showed up at the Lamplighter Inn to listen to lectures and get information on astrology and numerology. An organizer of the fair says people got hands ...

Spirituality - Google News

home | site map
© 2006