When we were at Seekers this week, it was determined that the thread running through this week’s readings was light. Just to mess with you all, I was a little bit tempted to try to find a different path through, but I also didn’t want to be accused of trying to hide the light! (This would be the part where Emily would tell me to stop thinking I’m funny). In all seriousness though, the theme of light is incredibly important to our readings today, as this is how God’s presence is shown among us.
As I was thinking about what to write in this sermon, I was reminded of an interaction I had with an interfaith colleague during my national training days. We did this activity called “Speedfaithing,” where all of the student trainers would give short presentations about what their religious or non-religious identity means to them and how they understood the world. The colleague I was thinking about this week identified as Quaker, a tradition that I admittedly knew little about. While her experience is only hers to tell, I was struck by the emphasis on seeing the divine in the people around her. In fact, she taught us about a greeting that went “the light in me honors the light in you.” In this case the light being that of the Divine.
I loved this imagery because it implies that we all have aspects of the Divine inherently within us; as we are reminded in Genesis, we are created in the image of God. One of the things I loved about this too is that it didn’t imply that the light only existed within a select group of people, but the light of the divine was in everyone. In a world where how we talk about light and dark has serious implications, it is so important to remain grounded in the fact that the light of God is in and for all people. The way this colleague described it also internalizes the light. The light isn’t this external object that we have or something that is at risk of burning out. It isn’t a candle with only 40 hours of burn time or an oil candle that we constantly need to climb a ladder to refill with oil. But the light of Christ exists as a part of us. We radiate the divine! How beautiful is that?!
We even acknowledge this in our baptismal liturgy. After water has been poured and the promise sealed, we give a candle to the family and we hear similar words to those from Matthew’s Gospel: “In this way, your light must shine before others so that they may see your good acts and give praise to your Abba God in heaven” (Matthew 5: 16). I hear the must and the good acts in this and it feels like another thing we have to do, but really it is a continuation of the promise. Our being exudes the presence of God in the spaces around us; we see God through one another. So, we are called to share that light and acknowledge that the light is a gift from God, not something that we earned.
This isn’t a commandment to keep us in check, but it is a reframing of the way that we see the world. We do not live for ourselves alone. As I talked about with my Bible study at Foss Village this week, whether we like it or not how we act in the world gives people an understanding of who Christians are and thus who we believe God to be. It does not mean that we have to be perfect, but it does cause us to stop and think about our actions for a second. Yet, no matter who we are or what we do, we radiate the light of Christ. This is a gift, even when it is a gift that feels heavy to carry.
As a science nerd growing up, I was always in awe of the fact that we are made up of stardust. And, as I think about the light that is within us, I think this gets even more beautiful for me. We are created from matter that gives off light. It is embedded in the very being of who are. Even when we try to hide the light or we don’t want to acknowledge that it is a part of us, it continues to remain as part of our identity at a very foundational level. I think this is a beautiful promise that no matter what we do or how far we stray, the light of Christ cannot be extinguished within us. There are times when it might appear brighter to those around us, but it’s like those trick birthday candles where no matter how hard you try to blow them out, they cannot be extinguished because of what God in Christ has already done for us. We are not defined by how much light we give off, but rather we are all called to carry the light of Christ, no matter what that looks like in our lives at this time.
Because, light looks different at different times and the way we interact with sources of light is also different, and that is okay too. We are all beautifully and wonderfully created unique, different from one another. We are not made at a candle factory where we all come out looking or acting the same. The way you interact with the light within you may change over time, just as it may change for others. The differing ways we interact with the world around us is part of the beautiful diversity of God. I reminds me of when the power goes out and you light every single candle you can find, some large, some small, some with scents, others just the little tea lights. Even with all those different sources, everything seems to work out in the end.
What I love about light is that no matter how small the item emitting light is, it still illumines the space. Don’t count out that single candle or flashlight, especially when the power has gone out or you are trying to navigate your way to the bathroom while out camping. To make a difference in the world around us, we don’t have to be more than we are; a single person with the light of Christ. But, I also love what happens when you bring multiple sources of light together, like when you put a whole bunch of candles on top of a birthday cake or you sit around a campfire watching the way that all of these logs work together to create a single large flame. It is like the individual and communal natures of the Christian life; we get to live in the both/and of what it means to carry the light of Christ within us. Because ultimately, the power of our light is strengthened by those around us. So let your light shine before others, because even one light can make a difference. And, perhaps more importantly, honor the light that is within others too, because we are all created to carry divine light.