Week of July 23, 2001
Michael S.

"Let your light shine forth . . . "
Philippians 4:11

Fellowship Thought for the Day:
"Those who love their dream of community more than the Christian community itself become a destroyer of the latter, even though their personal intentions may be ever so honest and earnest and sacrificial." -- Dietrich Bonhoeffer

I was born and raised in a multi-religious and multicultural environment as well as being educated in a number of faith-based schools and regions of this country. It should come as no surprise that I became interested in the study of comparative religion. As a youngster I'd read the mythologies of most of the world's modern and ancient cultures. Later, I got started on some of the great books of faith. For example, in my home, we had 150 year old copies of Martin Luther's writings as well as the Koran. Now they are almost 200 years old and I treasure them.

I found a powerful common thread in most of the faiths I studied: the principle of an "light" inside each individual that manifested itself externally. Curiously, the Quaker high school I went to had a seal that contained a small oriental oil lamp with a single wick lit and the surrounding motto, "Mind the light". The significance was that, in accordance with Quaker tradition, there is that light of God inside each individual and that we should be mindful of it, nurture it and let it shine forth from us to others in our dealings with them.

I first understood what this meant and truly appreciated the wonder of it when my first wife died and I saw reflections of her inner light in the eyes and hearts of everyone who knew her.

Sunday, June 10th, Nancy and I went the Newtown Quaker Meeting where we met with German friends who were passing through and could only be with us for a very short time. During the silent meeting, I was reminded of my concept of the inner light and considered the characteristics of the inner light. I was amazed as I contemplated the effects of various light intensities, colors, shadings and textures: physical ones such as heat with red, orange, yellow and white as well as with high intensities; coolness with blues and purples and lower intensities; visual impacts such as starkness in black and white as well as high resolution; emotional ones such as somberness with grays and other dark shades; pastoral peace with pastels and blurred edges; vigor and passions in various degrees of shading and definition. Romance novels rhapsodize about "love light shining in the eyes". Religious texts of many cultures associate blinding brilliant lights with the "appearance" of deities and other heaven-connected events and personages. I realized that there are many aspects of the inner light and what they mean to me.

I am constantly aware of the inner light that comes from each of you and I am warmed in the love it signifies found in our church family. Thank you.

Lord, your light shines forth in glory, let us also share it with one another. Amen.

Contributed by Michael S.
Published Monday July 23, 2001
Week 35 of Liturgical Year C