On Darkness

Mary Magdalene's First Power of the Ego

There is light within a man of light, and he lights up the whole world. If he does not shine, he is darkness.

- Gospel of Thomas 25

It’s winter.

As I write this, I’m sitting in my living room in Alabama on a rare snow day. The woods outside my window are icy and quiet. It’s the perfect amount of snow to make everything feel magical but not enough to cause …