A light in the darkness


I’m churning over some sermon ideas at the moment (pulpit supply in my home church on the evening of the 13th of April) and, following through a particular line of thought, a small section of the Beatitudes popped into my head:

Mat 5:14-16 “You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden.
Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house.
In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.

It struck me that the balance of these verses is not that we are light so that we may see, but rather that our light is there to be seen. A tiny candle-flame will be seen for miles on the darkest night for all that it does not cause the path before us to be illuminated. For that we need to bring the light to bear in a much more personal way.

Joh 8:12 Again Jesus spoke to them, saying, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”


One response to “A light in the darkness”

  1. A Return to Love
    Reflections on the Principles of A Course in Miracles
    by
    Marianne Williamson

    This quote has been incorrectly attributed to Nelson Mandela in his inaugural speech of 1994. He never spoke these words in his speeches that year.

    “Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate.
    Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure.
    It is our light, not our darkness, that most frightens us.
    We ask ourselves, who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, and fabulous?
    Actually, who are you not to be?
    You are a child of God.
    Your playing small doesn’t serve the world.
    There’s nothing enlightened about shrinking so
    that other people won’t feel insecure around you.
    We are all meant to shine, as children do.
    We are born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us.
    It’s not just in some of us, it’s in everyone.
    And as we let our own light shine,
    we unconsciously give other
    people permission to do the same.
    As we are liberated from our own fear,
    our presence automatically liberates others.”

    Marianne Williamson

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