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Ladder to the Light: An Indigenous Elder's Meditations on Hope and Courage
Darkness will not last forever. Together we can climb toward the light. They were as troubled as we, our ancestors, those who came before us, and all for the very same fear of illness, a broken heart, fights in the family, the threat of another war. Corrupt politicians walked their stage, and natural disasters appeared without warning. And yet they came through, carrying us within them, through the grief and struggle, through the personal pain and the public chaos, finding their way with love and faith, not giving in to despair but walking upright until their last step was taken. My culture does not honor the ancestors as a quaint spirituality of the past but as a living source of strength for the present. They did it and so will we. In the same voice that has comforted and challenged countless readers through his daily social media posts, Choctaw elder and Episcopal priest Steven Charleston offers words of hard-won hope, rooted in daily conversations with the Spirit and steeped in Indigenous wisdom. Every day Charleston spends time in prayer. Every day he writes down what he hears from the Spirit. In Ladder to the Light he shares what he has heard with the rest of us and adds thoughtful reflection to help guide us to the light. Native America knows something about cultivating resilience and resisting darkness. For all who yearn for hope, Ladder to the Light is a book of comfort, truth, and challenge in a time of anguish and fear.
192 pages, Paperback
Published January 5, 2021
214 people are currently reading
713 people want to read
About the author
Steven Charleston
20 books112 followersSteven Charleston is a citizen of the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma, the first of the Five Tribes from the southeastern part of the United States to be removed on the "Trail of Tears". He is a bishop in the Episcopal Church with forty years of service in the ordained ministry. He has been the director of Native American ministries for his church, the first Native Bishop of Alaska, the President and Dean of a seminary in Cambridge, Massachusetts, and a seminary professor. Currently he teaches at the Saint Paul School of Theology.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 52 reviews
September 28, 2021
I started reading this book on my kindle and was highlighting sections I want to remember, reread and share. I soon realized that I should just start at the beginning and highlight the whole book! I am reading slowly because there is so much to think about and pray about. Steven Charleston uses plain and simple language to explain and express profound, deep ideas. It is a beautifully written book of hope courage and most importantly, love.
February 13, 2022
Steven Charleston is a member of the Choctaw Nation and an Episcopal bishop.
This unique perspective is what energies his book Ladder to the Light, An Indigenous Elder’s Meditations on Hope and Courage.
Charleston weaves Native American culture with Christian experience, taking us on a journey of exploration that uses a ladder – made up of Faith, Blessing, Hope Community, Action, Truth, Renewal and Transformation.
Throughout the upward path, one guiding principle holds true, he writes, “The key to understanding blessing is accepting the idea of intimacy with the sacred...I believe we begin to become the light that shines in the darkness when we begin to believe we are loved.”
For Charleston, it’s this relationship – of intimacy and love – which opens the door to what some Christians refer to as salvation.
However, Charleston warns, “Some people find this relationship with the Spirit and then mistakenly stop there… They stop climbing. Instead, they build a comfortable spiritual cocoon where they feel safe. They are sure this kind of unconditional love means they are among the chosen. Through their personal relationship with the Spirit, they are saved. But this emphasis – on a private salvation rather than a shared hope – is a mistake, because it cuts short the next steps in our partnership with the Spirit.
One of the more powerful aspects of the ladder Charleston describes is the step of hope. “Hope arises when we embrace a sacred reality… it is the blueprint for a future our faith sees clearly before us. Hope is not a wish, but an intention.”
Hope, for Charleston, is the fuel that propels us upward.
“Hope changes history… When we claim hope for our home – when we make it the guiding energy of our faith – we transition from being scattered individuals who wish things would get better into being active partners with the Spirit, reshaping the balance of life toward mercy, justice and peace.”
“Hope makes room for love in the world. We can all share it, we can all believe in it, even if we are radically different in every other way. We no longer need to fear or differences because we have common ground.”
“Hope is a decision… Hope is creation in action.”
In regards to hope, Charleston concludes, “Here is the holy equation of faith: We are as strong as what we hope.”
After some time spent (powerfully) dwelling on this rung of the ladder, Charleston introduces us to the importance of the next step, “In the end our hope is only as strong as our community.”
He defines community as: “A place of trust, welcome, and respect – that is the community we seek. It is not a community of one. It is not a gated community for a few of us who believe that we along have found the truth. It is a wide, open community, welcoming to every human being… It is a community of seekers, but it is also a community of activists.”
In describing the rung of action, Charleston is clear to say that action springs from a diverse, inclusive point of view. “Celebrating what we hope for together is better than fighting over what we believe separately… Individual belief is interpretation. None of us, even members of the same organized religion, believes in exactly the same way… Native American spiritual systems take this kind of individual interpretation for granted and do not allow it to become the focal point for religion. Doing so would only invite people to argue endlessly about their differences instead of coming together to celebrate their similarities.”
The rung of truth is equally strong and a powerful partner to hope. “The steady rhythm of hope was never silenced. It beats today for all who would hear it. It beats within me. It beats within you. Life is still growing beneath the concrete. The sound of the earth is breathing beneath the glass and steel.”
This is all powerful stuff, especially considering the history of Native Americans, which includes forced marches (genocide), to barren lands, and being stripped of Native culture. Despite all of these horrors, Charleston sees a remarkably resilient belief system.
“They [Native Americans] were given one thing that was special to them: vision, the ability to see both what is now and what is coming to be. Sacred vision is our holy inheritance,”
The next rung Charleston describes is the rung of truth. “The importance of truth arose from a simple but profound understanding of what constitutes a civilization: no human system will endure unless it is built on truth.”
Charleston goes on to emphasize that, “[T]raditional Native American culture was not much concerned with religious truth claims, in a dogmatic sense. It was concerned with telling the truth on a personal level.”
Native Americans are in a powerful position to understand the importance of truth and its absence.
“Today, from Native America’s vantage point, tolerance of lies is the source of our dilemma. Once a culture allows truth to become relative or even meaningless, then that culture is in trouble. This is especially apparent in our political, judicial, and educational systems.”
“The Native American insistence on truth is a warning flag from a civilization that witness firsthand the cost of lies. The treaties made with our people were lies. The promises made to us were lies. The stories told about us were lies. The motives for taking our land were lies. The reasons for destroying our culture were lies.”
Charleston continues: “Few societies are as familiar with the full impact of lies as Native America. We are very experienced with the outcome of institutional lying.”
One might think that this reality would be enough to stop most people in their tracks, giving up on hope, truth or any other rung of the ladder. But Charleston keeps pressing upward.
“We are called to stand in the light of renewal. We are asked to affirm our willingness to change, for unless we do – unless we embrace renewal and strive to enter into it – we will not pass from darkness to light. Our ancestors survived because they could adapt, even in the most difficult and challenging circumstances… From the Native American perspective, renewal is about seeing the past as a doorway into the future. The more we enter into the strength of the ancestors, the more we emerge into the courage, wisdom and commitment we need to live in the present.”
Part of the process of renewal, for Charleston, is the aspect of kinship.
“Kinship is the core. It is the guiding principle that makes community work, not only among human beings, but throughout the entire matrix of creation. We are related to all living things. We are bonded to them, intertwined with them, dependent upon them, and strengthened by them. Our community is rooted in kinship.”
“[We] must put down the idea that the earth is nothing more than a vast accumulation of natural resources. Instead, we must see the earth as a living presence. We must recognize the interrelatedness of all life and begin to actively engage in protecting and learning from all our relations.”
For Charleston, renewal leads to the final rung of transformation.
In this concluding section of Ladder to the Light, Charleston gives us this beautiful prayer.
“…Today, I believe in the final victory of hope over fear. I believe in the worth and dignity of every human being. Today, I believe all will be well with me through the love and grace of the Spirit. I may have bad days again, but this will not be one of them. I have a choice, and today I choose to stand again as a believer in the future before me. Some days, I believe I can change the world. This one of them.”
This unique perspective is what energies his book Ladder to the Light, An Indigenous Elder’s Meditations on Hope and Courage.
Charleston weaves Native American culture with Christian experience, taking us on a journey of exploration that uses a ladder – made up of Faith, Blessing, Hope Community, Action, Truth, Renewal and Transformation.
Throughout the upward path, one guiding principle holds true, he writes, “The key to understanding blessing is accepting the idea of intimacy with the sacred...I believe we begin to become the light that shines in the darkness when we begin to believe we are loved.”
For Charleston, it’s this relationship – of intimacy and love – which opens the door to what some Christians refer to as salvation.
However, Charleston warns, “Some people find this relationship with the Spirit and then mistakenly stop there… They stop climbing. Instead, they build a comfortable spiritual cocoon where they feel safe. They are sure this kind of unconditional love means they are among the chosen. Through their personal relationship with the Spirit, they are saved. But this emphasis – on a private salvation rather than a shared hope – is a mistake, because it cuts short the next steps in our partnership with the Spirit.
One of the more powerful aspects of the ladder Charleston describes is the step of hope. “Hope arises when we embrace a sacred reality… it is the blueprint for a future our faith sees clearly before us. Hope is not a wish, but an intention.”
Hope, for Charleston, is the fuel that propels us upward.
“Hope changes history… When we claim hope for our home – when we make it the guiding energy of our faith – we transition from being scattered individuals who wish things would get better into being active partners with the Spirit, reshaping the balance of life toward mercy, justice and peace.”
“Hope makes room for love in the world. We can all share it, we can all believe in it, even if we are radically different in every other way. We no longer need to fear or differences because we have common ground.”
“Hope is a decision… Hope is creation in action.”
In regards to hope, Charleston concludes, “Here is the holy equation of faith: We are as strong as what we hope.”
After some time spent (powerfully) dwelling on this rung of the ladder, Charleston introduces us to the importance of the next step, “In the end our hope is only as strong as our community.”
He defines community as: “A place of trust, welcome, and respect – that is the community we seek. It is not a community of one. It is not a gated community for a few of us who believe that we along have found the truth. It is a wide, open community, welcoming to every human being… It is a community of seekers, but it is also a community of activists.”
In describing the rung of action, Charleston is clear to say that action springs from a diverse, inclusive point of view. “Celebrating what we hope for together is better than fighting over what we believe separately… Individual belief is interpretation. None of us, even members of the same organized religion, believes in exactly the same way… Native American spiritual systems take this kind of individual interpretation for granted and do not allow it to become the focal point for religion. Doing so would only invite people to argue endlessly about their differences instead of coming together to celebrate their similarities.”
The rung of truth is equally strong and a powerful partner to hope. “The steady rhythm of hope was never silenced. It beats today for all who would hear it. It beats within me. It beats within you. Life is still growing beneath the concrete. The sound of the earth is breathing beneath the glass and steel.”
This is all powerful stuff, especially considering the history of Native Americans, which includes forced marches (genocide), to barren lands, and being stripped of Native culture. Despite all of these horrors, Charleston sees a remarkably resilient belief system.
“They [Native Americans] were given one thing that was special to them: vision, the ability to see both what is now and what is coming to be. Sacred vision is our holy inheritance,”
The next rung Charleston describes is the rung of truth. “The importance of truth arose from a simple but profound understanding of what constitutes a civilization: no human system will endure unless it is built on truth.”
Charleston goes on to emphasize that, “[T]raditional Native American culture was not much concerned with religious truth claims, in a dogmatic sense. It was concerned with telling the truth on a personal level.”
Native Americans are in a powerful position to understand the importance of truth and its absence.
“Today, from Native America’s vantage point, tolerance of lies is the source of our dilemma. Once a culture allows truth to become relative or even meaningless, then that culture is in trouble. This is especially apparent in our political, judicial, and educational systems.”
“The Native American insistence on truth is a warning flag from a civilization that witness firsthand the cost of lies. The treaties made with our people were lies. The promises made to us were lies. The stories told about us were lies. The motives for taking our land were lies. The reasons for destroying our culture were lies.”
Charleston continues: “Few societies are as familiar with the full impact of lies as Native America. We are very experienced with the outcome of institutional lying.”
One might think that this reality would be enough to stop most people in their tracks, giving up on hope, truth or any other rung of the ladder. But Charleston keeps pressing upward.
“We are called to stand in the light of renewal. We are asked to affirm our willingness to change, for unless we do – unless we embrace renewal and strive to enter into it – we will not pass from darkness to light. Our ancestors survived because they could adapt, even in the most difficult and challenging circumstances… From the Native American perspective, renewal is about seeing the past as a doorway into the future. The more we enter into the strength of the ancestors, the more we emerge into the courage, wisdom and commitment we need to live in the present.”
Part of the process of renewal, for Charleston, is the aspect of kinship.
“Kinship is the core. It is the guiding principle that makes community work, not only among human beings, but throughout the entire matrix of creation. We are related to all living things. We are bonded to them, intertwined with them, dependent upon them, and strengthened by them. Our community is rooted in kinship.”
“[We] must put down the idea that the earth is nothing more than a vast accumulation of natural resources. Instead, we must see the earth as a living presence. We must recognize the interrelatedness of all life and begin to actively engage in protecting and learning from all our relations.”
For Charleston, renewal leads to the final rung of transformation.
In this concluding section of Ladder to the Light, Charleston gives us this beautiful prayer.
“…Today, I believe in the final victory of hope over fear. I believe in the worth and dignity of every human being. Today, I believe all will be well with me through the love and grace of the Spirit. I may have bad days again, but this will not be one of them. I have a choice, and today I choose to stand again as a believer in the future before me. Some days, I believe I can change the world. This one of them.”
April 20, 2025
Just the uplifting message I needed to hear right now. I know I’ll be coming back to this one again in the future.
June 14, 2023
On page 166 of this useful book, Steven Charleston writes: "Come sit with me, here beneath the shade, in the quiet corner or creation, and together we will sort out the worries of the world. We may not have the power to make things right with a single word, but we have words enough to speak the truth, and there is a power in truth greater than money can buy..."
This quote is a good hint, if not a complete summary , of Charleston's engaging work. Using the metaphor of a dark kiva from which a ladder ascends gradually into a full light, the author invites the reader to listen to the experience & expertise of the First People & learn how to commit to joining the climb. It is a profound message in 171 pages!
This quote is a good hint, if not a complete summary , of Charleston's engaging work. Using the metaphor of a dark kiva from which a ladder ascends gradually into a full light, the author invites the reader to listen to the experience & expertise of the First People & learn how to commit to joining the climb. It is a profound message in 171 pages!
May 5, 2023
I was in a reading group for this at my church last year. I didn't read it, but I bought it, because I want to support progressive Christian writers. I finally read it and it wasn't for me, maybe because I'm too young to appreciate just a series of wise sayings.
Everyone else in my group was over 50 and they really vibed with it. I liked hearing how they related to the book and the personal insights this book helped uncover. For my personal reading, I would have preferred something that was more directly historical, theological, or a autobiographical.
Everyone else in my group was over 50 and they really vibed with it. I liked hearing how they related to the book and the personal insights this book helped uncover. For my personal reading, I would have preferred something that was more directly historical, theological, or a autobiographical.
November 22, 2023
A somewhat slow-paced but amiable inspirational text on facing and triumphing over the negativity (darkness, in Charleston's framework) that is flourishing in public life today. It's based on Native American wisdom literature.
February 24, 2024
I never really accepted a guru in my life, though I visited or met with a few including the Maharishi. Steven Charleston, Choctaw elder/Episcopal bishop, could become one for me. Here he is on a Ladder to the Light, writing from the first rung, on the Rung of Faith, (25) “One of our most important spiritual jobs is to make memories, increase the number that make [those for whom we care] smile …make them know they are loved … memories we make are our most enduring achievements” (also give generously, laugh). This is a path of happiness.
He tells his readers and listeners about the ascension journey, a future career in the universe, on the next rung, (46) “the path of blessing is sacred … the Dine understood spiritual transformation as the energy that allows us to climb from darkness to light. … we are enabled to face any challenge in partnership with the spirit.”
This one really spoke to me, (51) “for any of us who have had a childhood of painful or difficult experiences … the Spirit is standing nearby … until we feel ready. Then with our permission … extends a gentle hand of love that heals and restores … helping us to feel once more the innocence of our hearts, the kindness of our hope, the happy moments we have so long sought and needed.”
He describes how some resist the power of change and progress. (59) “Once they feel the Spirit’s presence … They stop climbing. Instead they build a comfortable spiritual cocoon where they feel safe … this kind of unconditional love means they are among the chosen … But this private salvation rather than a shared hope is a mistake, it cuts short the next steps in our partnership with the Spirit.”
An important distinction, (80) “the rugged individualist was the pioneer who saw what he wanted and took it … it became an endless competition … in contrast my ancestors believed in individuality, each person’s right to be uniquely who they are but never to be isolated from their collective community. Diversity… was preserved in the heart of unity.”
The syncretic feature of North American Indian religion is its strength. (94-95) “The spiritual system of Native American … is a good example of disorganized religion … it is not important to make sure everyone believes in exactly the same way. It is important, however to make sure everyone celebrates what they believe together,” “allows people to hold different opinions but feel spiritually connected through a shared hope.”
On the rung of renewal, (131) “We have passed through the valley of the shadow of genocide and emerged to help others face their struggles with hope and determination …” although he (133) acknowledges the feuds that exist among Indians, “our ancestors as troubled as we: fear of illness, a broken heart, fights in the family, the threat of another war … and yet … not giving in to despair, but walking upright until their last step was taken.” (155) “my ancestors made a spiritual discovery … how to live a spiritual way of life that allowed every individual the right to be who they were, at the same time bonding them together into a powerful sense of community.”
He tells his readers and listeners about the ascension journey, a future career in the universe, on the next rung, (46) “the path of blessing is sacred … the Dine understood spiritual transformation as the energy that allows us to climb from darkness to light. … we are enabled to face any challenge in partnership with the spirit.”
This one really spoke to me, (51) “for any of us who have had a childhood of painful or difficult experiences … the Spirit is standing nearby … until we feel ready. Then with our permission … extends a gentle hand of love that heals and restores … helping us to feel once more the innocence of our hearts, the kindness of our hope, the happy moments we have so long sought and needed.”
He describes how some resist the power of change and progress. (59) “Once they feel the Spirit’s presence … They stop climbing. Instead they build a comfortable spiritual cocoon where they feel safe … this kind of unconditional love means they are among the chosen … But this private salvation rather than a shared hope is a mistake, it cuts short the next steps in our partnership with the Spirit.”
An important distinction, (80) “the rugged individualist was the pioneer who saw what he wanted and took it … it became an endless competition … in contrast my ancestors believed in individuality, each person’s right to be uniquely who they are but never to be isolated from their collective community. Diversity… was preserved in the heart of unity.”
The syncretic feature of North American Indian religion is its strength. (94-95) “The spiritual system of Native American … is a good example of disorganized religion … it is not important to make sure everyone believes in exactly the same way. It is important, however to make sure everyone celebrates what they believe together,” “allows people to hold different opinions but feel spiritually connected through a shared hope.”
On the rung of renewal, (131) “We have passed through the valley of the shadow of genocide and emerged to help others face their struggles with hope and determination …” although he (133) acknowledges the feuds that exist among Indians, “our ancestors as troubled as we: fear of illness, a broken heart, fights in the family, the threat of another war … and yet … not giving in to despair, but walking upright until their last step was taken.” (155) “my ancestors made a spiritual discovery … how to live a spiritual way of life that allowed every individual the right to be who they were, at the same time bonding them together into a powerful sense of community.”
October 3, 2022
Reading Ladder to the Light was so refreshing for me. I thoroughly enjoyed learning about the author's perspectives and came away with a lot of inspiration to carry with me on my own path. The book really started to resonate once I reached chapter 5 and it was then (and in the few chapters following) that so many of the things that have been on my own heart lately started to come together in really beautiful ways. Thought provoking, poignant and full of wisdom; I will carry some of the words in this book with me for the rest of my life.
This quote was one of my favorites:
"Without kinship, a nation is a nation in name only. It is a random collection of isolated people, all competing with one another, bound together by rules that often favor the few over the many. Consequently, the foundation for community is inherently unstable. The nation is always susceptible to struggle and injustice. It lacks a spiritual core.
Kinship provides that core because kinship means not conformity but relationship - deep, spiritual relationship. In the Native American context, this means every person's right to be who they are and believe how they wish. It also means they are part of an intimate family relationship, grounded in sharing, cooperation and mutual respect. It means being a nation without boundaries or hierarchies. it means being willing to take less so others may have more - not because it is the law, but because it is love."
Thank you for sharing your stories and wisdom with us, Elder Charleston. I am grateful.
This quote was one of my favorites:
"Without kinship, a nation is a nation in name only. It is a random collection of isolated people, all competing with one another, bound together by rules that often favor the few over the many. Consequently, the foundation for community is inherently unstable. The nation is always susceptible to struggle and injustice. It lacks a spiritual core.
Kinship provides that core because kinship means not conformity but relationship - deep, spiritual relationship. In the Native American context, this means every person's right to be who they are and believe how they wish. It also means they are part of an intimate family relationship, grounded in sharing, cooperation and mutual respect. It means being a nation without boundaries or hierarchies. it means being willing to take less so others may have more - not because it is the law, but because it is love."
Thank you for sharing your stories and wisdom with us, Elder Charleston. I am grateful.
November 6, 2025
This is an absolutely "Must Read" for both your spiritual life enhancement and renewal as well as for a better understanding of the deep spiritual faith that is intertwined with daily life of the Indigenous Peoples of North America. Author Charleston brings his Choctaw heritage, as well as his theological, spiritual, environmental and writing expertise to this easy-to-read book which uses the vision of the Indigenous Kiva and the rungs of the ladder leading out of the darkness of the Kiva's spiritual world into our everyday life in the light of the world in which we live. His essays and observations on Faith, Love, and Hope help us recognize how these spiritual blessings are exhibited and shared by all peoples every day in the world around us. He makes clear that these Blessings of the Spirit must come out of us in Actions to be shared in community with others in order for us to Renew and Transform the malaise of society which many feel we have sunken into inescapably. Our daily adherence to observing, listening to, the Earth we live in, coupled with sharing our meditations and truths in community is the way of dealing with and transforming our daily rush-rush artificial propaganda-filled world. An excellent quick initial read, but one you will want to revisit repeatedly to reinforce your own spiritual life.
Read
July 30, 2022A meditative book full of spiritual truths by a retired Choctaw Episcopal Bishop. I really appreciated reading this. Uplifting and inspiring, but also a call to action and to do better. The only reason the first half of my copy has more underlined than the rest of it is because I didn't have my pen around for the rest of it, but there are nuggets of wisdom throughout. The format of the book, steps up a ladder from the darkness of a kiva (a sacred space of the Indigenous peoples of the Southwest) into the light, is very successful, each rung building on the next. I appreciated the perspective, although found it interesting how the author often grouped all of "Native America" together. His argument that Native Americans have survived the end of their world and thus have credible insights on how to fight back against today's darkness really struck me. I feel like I'll often come back to this book and will find new insights and inspiration each time. Would recommend.
February 19, 2022
I share this paragraph with you and tell you that there are many more passages of hope worthy of sharing:
"SING COMFORT: Sing on, choir of faith, and let your voices resound through the world. Sing on, songs of a sacred promise, songs of an enduring love, songs of eternal mercy. Let those anthems fill the air, ringing like bells for all to hear. Sing Comfort, sing courage, sing the defiant heart of faith that lifts the human spirit on sounds of joy to reach the high country of hope. Sing on. choir of faith, until you wrap this weary old world in the arms of peace, singing it to sleep beneath the ever-watchful eye. We need your beauty now more than we can say - so sing on, dear friends, sing on."
Thank you Steven Charleston.
"SING COMFORT: Sing on, choir of faith, and let your voices resound through the world. Sing on, songs of a sacred promise, songs of an enduring love, songs of eternal mercy. Let those anthems fill the air, ringing like bells for all to hear. Sing Comfort, sing courage, sing the defiant heart of faith that lifts the human spirit on sounds of joy to reach the high country of hope. Sing on. choir of faith, until you wrap this weary old world in the arms of peace, singing it to sleep beneath the ever-watchful eye. We need your beauty now more than we can say - so sing on, dear friends, sing on."
Thank you Steven Charleston.
December 23, 2025
I read this book with a church book group.
The author, a Choctaw man, writes to share his world view. He has blended his indigenous culture with Western religion as an Episcopalian priest.
This world view is shaped as ten life lessons organized around the idea of moving into the world from the safe shelter of the kiva. Each lesson is another rung of the ladder up and out into the world. Lesson Ten moves us out.
Topics include hope, community, and transformation. The author’s suggestions are powerful. My only reserve about this book is that maybe the ideas are too powerful. One big idea immediately follows the first big idea which immediately follows that big idea. I was left wishing for more explanation, history, or examples.
My group found much to discuss in this book.
The author, a Choctaw man, writes to share his world view. He has blended his indigenous culture with Western religion as an Episcopalian priest.
This world view is shaped as ten life lessons organized around the idea of moving into the world from the safe shelter of the kiva. Each lesson is another rung of the ladder up and out into the world. Lesson Ten moves us out.
Topics include hope, community, and transformation. The author’s suggestions are powerful. My only reserve about this book is that maybe the ideas are too powerful. One big idea immediately follows the first big idea which immediately follows that big idea. I was left wishing for more explanation, history, or examples.
My group found much to discuss in this book.
June 7, 2025
If anyone needs a message of hope and inspiration in these times, as I think most of us do, please give this one a read.
"The kiva reminds us that we have been in darkness before. It is nothing new. Like an eclipse, it may shade the truth, but only for a while. Darkness can have no dominion over the tribe of the human beings. It can never be the last word, because darkness is always our beginning...
Do not be afraid. Do not be tricked into thinking what has been broken can never be fixed. Do not trade your freedom for an imagined safety in the shadows. Let the moment of darkness be the beginning of your next journey in faith."
"The kiva reminds us that we have been in darkness before. It is nothing new. Like an eclipse, it may shade the truth, but only for a while. Darkness can have no dominion over the tribe of the human beings. It can never be the last word, because darkness is always our beginning...
Do not be afraid. Do not be tricked into thinking what has been broken can never be fixed. Do not trade your freedom for an imagined safety in the shadows. Let the moment of darkness be the beginning of your next journey in faith."
May 24, 2021
A fascinating and deeply insightful look into a spiritual path that is uplifting and enlightening. The author draws on his experience as a bishop and his heritage as a Choctaw to bring to life a "ladder" on which each rung leads us up out of darkness into the light. I have enjoyed Steven Charleton's writing through the years and found this book to be a delightful composite of some of his most profound spiritual thoughts and discernments. I recommend this book to anyone looking for something deeper, something more than is on the surface.
October 24, 2021
Much needed in this wobbly world; another gem from Steven Charleston, who is a poetic and engaging writer. His use of the image of the kiva as a metaphor for our collective journey from the dark to the light is deeply powerful, generous, and inspired. He doesn't avoid getting into the challenges of living on a planet threatened by Capitalism and climate change, but equally he avoids the temptation to slip into despair, escapism, or apathy. Slightly lacking in practical application, but that is for each one of us to find fuelled by this wonderful book. Prepare to set sale on hopeful seas.
May 6, 2024
Wow! What a beautiful and sacred book! Based on indigenous knowledge, it urges us to climb the ladder to the light, each of us and all of us. Truly beautiful!
“We have climbed the ladder to the light many times: renewing our faith, receiving our blessings, maintaining our hope, living in truth and in kinship. Consequently, we are not a historic artifact of American history. Instead, we are the people of tomorrow, the people who have seen the light of renewal and never stopped climbing to reach it.”
“We have climbed the ladder to the light many times: renewing our faith, receiving our blessings, maintaining our hope, living in truth and in kinship. Consequently, we are not a historic artifact of American history. Instead, we are the people of tomorrow, the people who have seen the light of renewal and never stopped climbing to reach it.”
August 18, 2021
Charleston is an Episcopal priest and a Choctaw elder — two identities that may seem to conflict with one another by those who think in more “all or none” terms. These two paths have shaped an invaluable perspective on human suffering and how we can overcome darkness in today’s world. His spiritual insight and wisdom is desperately needed right now. I highly recommend reading this book — carefully and slowly.
February 12, 2022
This one literally broke my heart and rebuilt it again with refreshed energy and perspective. Written by a Christian elder, indigenous follower of native practices, and Buddhism practitioner; the spiritual wisdom shared is beautiful and impactful. I’m already seeing growth in myself having just read it. I’d say highly recommend, but I really feel this is a book the world would benefit and heal from reading.
November 15, 2022
This is a book I read slowly and didn’t want to return to the library. I was frustrated I couldn’t highlight things, though I probably would have highlighted too much. I need to purchase my own copy. Steven Charleston’s words and meditations and approach to spiritual life resonate greatly for me right now. If you want a taste, follow him on Facebook for awhile and check out his daily thoughts. If you find them compelling, I highly recommend this book.
January 29, 2025
Life-giving Words of Hope
We read this book as part of a study at my church. I found the imagery of the kiva transformative as I rethink what it means to be in a dark place. The ladder provided a practical metaphor and framework. The vision he cast was awe-inspiring. It felt at once out of reach and right within my grasp, but such is the journey as we climb the ladder to the light.
We read this book as part of a study at my church. I found the imagery of the kiva transformative as I rethink what it means to be in a dark place. The ladder provided a practical metaphor and framework. The vision he cast was awe-inspiring. It felt at once out of reach and right within my grasp, but such is the journey as we climb the ladder to the light.
July 27, 2021
Mesmerizingly wonderful! Charleston has a way of drawing you in. His words create this amazing visual; from the darkness of the kiva to the touching of the bark of a tree and wind on your face -I was there.
Being a Christian Pastor and indigenous elder beings about a beautiful combination of spiritualism with God, our Father, and the earth, sky, and sea. Just amazing!
Being a Christian Pastor and indigenous elder beings about a beautiful combination of spiritualism with God, our Father, and the earth, sky, and sea. Just amazing!
September 22, 2022
This is a deceptively uncomplicated book. Its language is accessible yet challenging, its words simple but its ideas complex. I wish I'd spent more time on my initial reading (and yes, as Kaitlin Curtice writes, this is a book that demands re-reading) to allow the fullness of each chapter to bloom in my mind before moving on to the next.
August 12, 2023
P. 25 "One of our most important spiritual jobs is to make memories. Our task is to help those for whom we care to increase the number of memories they have that make them smile, make them feel appreciated, make them know they are loved."
P 96 "Celebrating what we hope for together is better than fighting what we believe separately."
P 96 "Celebrating what we hope for together is better than fighting what we believe separately."
October 3, 2024
The author's take on religion and politics, which is based on Native American practices, is especially enlightening. Wouldn't it be something if we just let people believe what they wanted to believe? As for politics, couldn't we just elect those who convinced us they could solve a problem, allow them to do just that, and then have them leave office?
January 31, 2025
I would recommend listening to Charleston's talk on the Four Vision Quests of Jesus or perhaps another of his books. This one reads like a motivational calendar with commentary. I was drawn to his writing because of a curiosity of Native Spirituality as it intersects with Christianity of which he is a great resource. Unfortunately this book isn't it fore me.
February 8, 2023
There is something for everyone in this book. Some of the meditations really resonated with me and some of them were harder to absorb. I like that the book stresses the importance of community and how we need to support each other in order to heal the earth (and subsequently ourselves).
July 23, 2023
This is a beautiful book: inspiring, challenging, and ultimately and somewhat surprisingly to me, optimistic. I would recommend reading it in a group, as I did, because the chapters bear discussing.
October 9, 2024
So much wisdom to absorb in such a small book! No matter your faith or worldview, this book speaks to a broad audience about recognizing who we are and the way we can bring peace and hope to the world.
October 25, 2024
Not bad. Slow paced. Charleston takes you through the rungs of the ladder and the Native American history of community and Spirit. Many of his Facebook/blog postings are included to deliver his message.
August 18, 2021
An encouraging guide to confronting the seemingly pervasive darkness found in today's world.
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