The following was from a website provided by "DF" and explains it better than I can.
This is from The News Observer website, and all rights are reserved by said site:
Often outfitted with semicolons and commas and arranged in poemlike fashion by those who came after her, these words originally appeared in Marianne Williamson's 1992 book, "A Return to Love: Reflections on the Principles of A Course in Miracles."
"As I interpret the Course, '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 doesn't serve the world. There's 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're liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others."
6 comments:
:-)
I should share that I first heard the quote while listening to either a Price Lecture or a guest sermon at Trinity Church in Boston. I'm 90% sure the lecture was delivered by The Rev. Ed Bacon (Rector of All Saints Parish in Pasadena, CA)... but it could also have been The Rev. George Regas (Rector Emeritus of All Saints Pasadena) or The Very Rev. Dean Jones (Dean of Grace Cathedral in San Francisco).
Anyway, the quote was mentioned, the frequent mis-attribution noted, and then the correct attribution was given.
It was then stated that though it would be more convenient if the author was Nelson Mandela, "truth is truth no matter where it comes from".
That insight about truth has been very valuable to me as I try to stay open all sources of truth.
Hmmm. A course in miracles is not Christian teaching, but more of a cult, as I understand it. Why cite to this?
Thank you for your comment Brian.
Because things I write about or people I quote in my blog don't have be Christian-oriented all the time necessarily. Marianne is a good writer and I enjoy her work. That is good enough reason for me.
I have never heard of her work as being "cultish" in any way shape or form, and as an educated person, I discount that definition completely.
The other reason is that the words and their meaning in this piece are very powerful, especially for those who have been cast aside or downtrodden, and their are plenty of those folk, me included. Marianne is in tune spiritually in many ways with Christianity, especially the progressive views that I hold.
Thanks for asking.
Pardon, me, its Brad, not Brian!
The "label" most applied to Marianne Williamson and her teachings is "NEW AGE". All of her teaching are based on the principles found in "A Course in Miracles" Which is basically a book that the writer Helen Schucman attributes to dictating the words she felt she received from Jesus. Christians believe God used this method creating the Bible but are highly skeptical that HE might still talk to people the same way today. I must be really out there..cause sometimes I feel the presence of the Lord in a mockingbirds song or a simple sunset.
Hi Leighsa and thank you for commenting. And who has the authority to say that God does NOT speak to us, either through the Holy Spirit or by any other means. It is not so important that others believe us I think; what is important is that we discern the voice we hear as being truly of God and not of our baser nature. I too hear God each day, whether it is within my heart and spirit, in the voice of my priest on Sunday, or as you say, in the voices of birds and the wind.
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