It’s an old story. It has been told and re-told in different fairy tales, myths, and languages, in different times and places. But it is essentially the same story. It is about a wise one, a magician, a sage. It is the story of someone who holds the key to transforming lead into gold. It is the story of the alchemist.
Many are the pilgrimages that have been undertaken in a quest to find the one who holds such power. Imagine the riches that one would possess if they could take a simple, inexpensive metal like lead and turn it into gold. Ah, the good fortune of knowing such a chemistry!
Of course, the moral in the story is that we can each one become an alchemist. You probably know one already. It is the person who likes knitting and turns their talent into making blankets for orphans. It is the invalid who cannot get out but who uses their solitude and quiet time as an opportunity for a prayer ministry. Or it is the neighbor next door who collects pop cans and turns them in to raise money for some worthy cause.
Our world could really use more alchemists right now. We are living in a time of leaden concern and mounting anxiety. These are the perfect materials for transformation for the alchemist. Spiritual alchemy is about taking the mundane, the difficult, and the challenging situations that come our way and turning them into meaningful avenues of service.
Collectively we have made many poor choices. These poor choices range from the ecological to the political to the spiritual. We have made poor choices in how we treat people different from us whether that is in gender or color or nationality. We have hoarded resources instead of sharing them and squandered abundance so that a few have much and many have little.
Difficult times allow us to take a good look at our decisions and see where we might start to act differently. All spiritual alchemy begins when we see the opportunity for transformation and volunteer to be used by Source. The Spirit enables us to shine light into dark situations. We can become a light worker for the universe.
All it takes to volunteer for this type of work is to say, “Here am I, send me.” The goal and privilege of daily spiritual practice is to help make a difference in the world. As we are transformed and filled with a sense of God’s goodness and sovereignty, we are equipped to share with others our sense of joy and courage.
This is true spiritual alchemy. We see our own hearts and heaviness transformed. We turn from discouragement to peace. Once we have a living experience of this we naturally want to help lighten the load for other folks as well.
Imagine the changes that could take place if we would all volunteer to make a difference. By taking the resources of our life—our time, our talent, and our hearts and using them for the highest good of all—we will turn our world into gold.
Many are the pilgrimages that have been undertaken in a quest to find the one who holds such power. Imagine the riches that one would possess if they could take a simple, inexpensive metal like lead and turn it into gold. Ah, the good fortune of knowing such a chemistry!
Of course, the moral in the story is that we can each one become an alchemist. You probably know one already. It is the person who likes knitting and turns their talent into making blankets for orphans. It is the invalid who cannot get out but who uses their solitude and quiet time as an opportunity for a prayer ministry. Or it is the neighbor next door who collects pop cans and turns them in to raise money for some worthy cause.
Our world could really use more alchemists right now. We are living in a time of leaden concern and mounting anxiety. These are the perfect materials for transformation for the alchemist. Spiritual alchemy is about taking the mundane, the difficult, and the challenging situations that come our way and turning them into meaningful avenues of service.
Collectively we have made many poor choices. These poor choices range from the ecological to the political to the spiritual. We have made poor choices in how we treat people different from us whether that is in gender or color or nationality. We have hoarded resources instead of sharing them and squandered abundance so that a few have much and many have little.
Difficult times allow us to take a good look at our decisions and see where we might start to act differently. All spiritual alchemy begins when we see the opportunity for transformation and volunteer to be used by Source. The Spirit enables us to shine light into dark situations. We can become a light worker for the universe.
All it takes to volunteer for this type of work is to say, “Here am I, send me.” The goal and privilege of daily spiritual practice is to help make a difference in the world. As we are transformed and filled with a sense of God’s goodness and sovereignty, we are equipped to share with others our sense of joy and courage.
This is true spiritual alchemy. We see our own hearts and heaviness transformed. We turn from discouragement to peace. Once we have a living experience of this we naturally want to help lighten the load for other folks as well.
Imagine the changes that could take place if we would all volunteer to make a difference. By taking the resources of our life—our time, our talent, and our hearts and using them for the highest good of all—we will turn our world into gold.
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