Going Within
Inner Light, Love, and the Greatest Commandment
“It is foolish to think that we will enter heaven without entering into ourselves.” — St. Teresa of Avila
That line wrecked me the first time I read it. Because let’s be real: heaven isn’t only some far-off promise. It’s also the deep, sacred ground inside of us. And going within isn’t always pretty. Sometimes it feels like opening that kitchen junk drawer - everything you kept hidden eventually falls out (and you also end up finding that lost receipt you were looking for months ago, too).
But that’s where the light lives. That’s where love begins.
The Sacred Braid
Jesus said the Greatest Commandment was this: Love God. Love your neighbor. Love yourself.
Notice how they’re not three separate tasks. They’re braided together. You can’t fully love your neighbor if you’ve never practiced loving yourself. You can’t pour into the community if you’re running on fumes. And you can’t claim to love God while treating yourself as disposable.
This isn’t any abstract theology. It’s a daily practice. It’s the messy, honest work of going within so we can show up authentically in the world.
Street (Sa)Cred(ness)
Spirituality doesn’t only live in monasteries or weekend retreats. It also breathes in city streets, kitchen sinks, and late-night subway rides.
It’s in the five minutes of quiet before the kids wake up.
It’s in the moment you pause at the bus stop to take a deep breath.
It’s in remembering your tired, scarred, or stretched-thin body is still frikken holy.
Urban spaces and everyday lives are not outside of Source’s reach. In fact, they may be the very places where heaven cracks open.
For queer and BIPOC folks, for survivors of religious trauma, this isn’t just “self-care.” This is survival!
Systems have tried to erase us. To silence us. To shame us.
But when we dare to enter into ourselves—our wounds, our joy, our rage, our tenderness—we are resisting. We’re saying: I am still here. My light has not gone out. My story matters.
That’s holy resistance. That’s sacred survival.
Practical Sacredness: Making It Reachable
The best part of all of this is that this isn’t reserved for saints or monks. It’s reachable. It’s practical. You don’t need incense, robes, or a seminary degree. Just willingness.
Start small:
Light a candle and breathe.
Journal one messy paragraph.
Put your hand on your heart and whisper, “I’m still here.”
Tiny acts. Small sparks. Yes. But they remind us that the light is already inside.
Love as Liberation
Here’s the secret: when we go inward, it’s not just for us. Every ounce of love we reclaim becomes fuel to love others. Every moment of healing makes us better at building peace. Every whisper of self-worth becomes a shout that our neighbors are sacred, too.
That’s the Greatest Commandment in action.
That’s heaven on earth.
So let’s keep doing the inner work together. Let’s keep striking matches, tending sparks, and fanning flames. Because every time we heal a little more of ourselves, we set more love loose in the world.
And radical, resilient, and unapologetic love is exactly what the world is starving for. 🌱💜
Reflection Prompt
When you pause and “go within,” what do you notice first? Your wounds, your joy, your anger, your tenderness? How might acknowledging that part of you create more room to love yourself and your community?