Light Within, Light Shared
Matthew 5:14-16
Matthew 5:14-16 (NRSV):
14 “You are the light of the world. A city built on a hill cannot be hid. 15 People do not light a lamp and put it under the bushel basket; rather, they put it on the lampstand, and it gives light to all in the house. 16 In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father in heaven.
You are the light of the world. Has anyone told you that yet, today? Am I the first? Well…I’m just the messenger, but I do believe the message. So, now that I've told you: what’s the function of this metaphor? What is its truth?
Last week, when we looked at the nine beatitudes, just before these verses, I called the sermon on the mount a “survival guide” or “resistance manual” that equips people to survive and resist Empire and any of the crushing forces that would steal their peace, their joy, or their lives.
Here, the sermon continues, with the same overarching goal, but an even more emphatic message that, for Quakers, should resonate pretty deeply. Jesus tells them something true about who they are and what they possess–using the language of light–and encourages people to participate in the world in ways that are not done for visibility’s sake but are nonetheless visible. Light within, light shared. That’s a pretty good nutshell version of Quaker faith, if there is one!
I recognize people will read this text differently, especially depending on their view of the human person. Are we simply vessels, incapable of goodness ourselves but who, if we submit or surrender, can be used by God or some other Powerful Force, to do good things? I don’t really find “usage” or utilitarian metaphors for our relationship with God all that helpful. Use your voice, use your body, use your brain and heart? Yes. But when it comes to being used, or using others, I get real squirmy.
I don’t really want to be “used,” even by God, because I’m not a tool, and I don’t want to treat others like tools, or be fine with an economy or government or church that treats people like tools. We’re more than tools. People are more than simply “useful.” So if we’re not simply vessels, or puppets, then what are we?
Well…we’re the light of the world! It says so right there, in THE Bible! Religious messaging can be pretty disparaging, at times.
But Jesus is consistently affirming, telling a different story about who they are and what they can do, especially together, guided by Love. Whatever this affirmation means…it’s positive and energizing.
I will offer a cautionary note about “Light.” Many thoughtful people have pointed out the challenges of using “light” as a spiritual metaphor, and the potential, subtle racism of equating darkness with evil or danger and lightness with good or salvation. Now, many people of color use “light” as a metaphor, so I’m not saying there’s universal agreement about the language. Liberal Quakers–not Quakers who are liberal, but liberal Quakers…join us for our next Welcome class where all your questions about Quaker terminology will be…noted!–liberal Quakers speak of the light within, while evangelical and orthodox Quakers tend to speak of Christ within. Camas Friends Quakers are a whole other thing. It’s complicated. We’re complicated.
We use lots of terms. I prefer to speak of Love within, which, if using this structure, could sound like: “you are Love in the world…don’t hide your Love…let your Love shine, through action…” But I think we can, with some intentionality and care, navigate this challenge of avoiding language that subconsciously and unintentionally reinforces subtle white supremacy. For example, we could use both light and dark as metaphors for good, like we’ve been doing on Christmas Eve, here, when talking about darkness as a space of incubation, rest, re-creation, or relief. Or by understanding light not as something overpowering or conquering or pure or better, but as something clarifying, like when you turn a light on to read, or when you shine a light on something otherwise difficult to see. Light reveals what is really there.
Quakers often say “I will hold you in the light” instead of “I’ll pray for you” which can mean a lot of things, by design. To me, it’s a way of letting go of control, admitting we might not know what’s best for someone, but being willing to pause our lives, briefly, to be present to their situation, holding them in Holy Mystery. It’s also a wish that the clarifying Light of Divine Love will give the person what they most need to sustain them—a Divine Love that isn’t out there somewhere, in a control room watching cosmic history play out, but in it with us. If God is anywhere, God is right here.
And that’s part of his message, I think. God is right here. When Jesus tells people they are “the light of the world” I think he’s providing them clarity about themselves, and about their opportunity to bring clarity to others. And, to be clear, I don’t think Jesus should have used different language to say what he needed to say. I think we can listen to the heart of what he was getting at, hold onto what is helpful, and let go of what is not, which could mean abandoning or expanding or just clarifying our language. Sometimes people idolize words that are familiar and comfortable, when…they’re just words. We can find new words. But let’s see this metaphor through, today.
You are the light of the world. I really do hear a message about clarity, truthfulness, illumination. “You are the light. You are revelatory. You help or can help people see what’s really there, what’s really going on. You can help people see tragedy and danger. And you can help people see goodness and beauty. Many of your lives reveal the tragic consequences of how we’ve organized our lives together, reveal the worst tendencies of humans. People should listen to you, because you enlighten us, to what is real.
“But your presence also reveals the goodness within us, the possibilities of what Love can do. You reveal his Divine Love within us, through acts of compassion and mercy and peacemaking and hungering for justice. And through telling the truth! You don’t even need to get preachy or clever or hyperbolic in your truthtelling, you can just say plainly what is happening, right in front of us, and be the light we need in this time.”
And if we are all light, then we shine our lights, in many different ways.
You may know I am a big fan of Mcmenamins restaurants, a local chain of pubs and hotels, for those outside of the Pacific Northwest. Last Monday was actually National Tater Tot Day, which McMenamins is famous for. Happy belated National Tater Tot Day, everyone. Mcmenamins is also known for its whimsical artwork and lighting. This picture on the screen is the main promotional artwork for the closets Mcmenamins, in East Vancouver, aptly named: “Mcmenamins East Vancouver.” You can see they feature, in this image, their lights! Now, what do you notice about the lights in this pic?
SHARING
They’re all different! And super unique and quirky and fun.
When Jesus says “you are the light of the world,” it’s a community declaration, but it’s not like we should picture a community of clones. We may be tapped into and united by One Light, if you want to think of it that way, but the way that Light manifests in our lives will look different, because we are so different! We have different birthplaces, and families of origin, and hobbies, and limitations, and strengths, and experiences, and traumas, and talents, and clothing styles, and food preferences and aversions, and brain types, and gender expressions, and so on. What’s under these light covers might be light, the same basic thing illuminating each one, but how that light is expressed and experienced can manifest in limitless variety.
Now this particular Mcmenamins is part of a strip mall, so the building structure is plain, but the lights, in all their variety, don’t just make it possible to move around the space and ensure the waitstaff doesn’t trip and dump your tots on the ground; the lights create a mood, a vibe, an experience. That Mcmenamins vibe is cultivated by a lot of things, including that community of lights, drawing on the same source for their illumination but expressing that light in creativity diversity.
In a community of lights, what’s your unique, illuminating, quirky contribution?
And whatever kind of light you are: hide it under a bushel? (NO!) A community of light-filled souls, embracing and sharing and combining their lights to create something brilliant, cannot be hidden. How do we hide our light? Why do we hide our light? What practices and support help our light come out of hiding, tossing that bushel aside? Of course, our light may be hidden through no fault of our own; there are many forces that work to cover our Light, and sometimes we need each other to uncover it.
So this is about shining our light. But also, how might we affirm and draw out the light in others? The Quaker mission is not just to recognize that of God or the Light in each other, but to help create the conditions–switching now to a more earthy metaphor–for the Seeds of Love within to grow, to get the nourishment they needs, so that they can grow and blossom and provide shade to others from the scorching sun and overwhelming light–speaking of subverting and mixing metaphors of light and dark!
“Let your light shine.” Subtle difference, here. Not only are you light, you have light. Your light is bigger than you, it is something of which you are a steward, or caretaker. It is something we share in common, something we can recognize in others, even as it manifests in different ways. And something we can help each other find and live.
“That they may see your good works.” This is not about performance or self-promotion. We’re right to be cautious about being self-righteous and a spectacle for spectacle’s sake, but there’s a space for visibility, too. For communicating, publicly, clearly, noticeably, disruptively, even, something that needs to be seen or heard.
But this “demonstration of good works” may also just be a way of saying: don’t just send loving intentions out into the world, from a hidden place, go to where people are hungry, or thirsty, or sick, or lonely, or hurting, and shine that light of Love within you, through action, so that people will actually benefit and rejoice that they are benefiting from your Light. This is not about people spectating and cheering you on for your virtue; this is about beneficiaries of your Love, praising God because they are relieved that they’re getting what they need.
I’d like to invite you to do something. It might feel a little inauthentic or forced, but I’d encourage you to try it anyway. I want you to speak for God, to yourself. You don’t have to even really believe in God, or believe in the God I believe in. It can just be difficult to hear the affirming voice of Love in your head, compared to that voice spoken aloud.
So, first, look at some part of your body, since you can’t see your face to make eye contact with yourself–maybe your hands, your knees, wherever–and say to yourself, “Matt (don’t say Matt, use your own name)...Matt, you are the light of the world.” Or, if that language of light doesn’t speak to you, replace it with something else that captures for you the same or a similar sentiment. Go ahead, say it aloud.
CONGREGATIONAL SELF-AFFIRMATIONS
Now say, with your own name, “Matt, let your light shine” or some other invitation to yourself to share who you are with others, knowing that your life does and can shine the light of Love. Go ahead.
CONGREGATIONAL SELF-AFFIRMATIONS
Now, I’d like you to…look around the room—don’t forget about the Zoom folks and Zoom folks, likewise—and without saying anything…you can smile, wave, nod, non-aggressively point, if you know how…look around and notice every individual in the room, and think to yourself, “look at all these lights” or “look at all these Seeds of Love” or some other affirming recognition of the people around you.
ACTION
How was that? I would imagine, with practice, we could all get a bit better at reminding each other of who we are, of pointing people toward their light and love, and better at receiving and believing that message from others–and living like it’s true. Because it is.
You are the light of the world. That is a truth you could potentially take to heart, about who you are, about who we are, and about our sacred responsibility in the world. Who are we, generally? Who are you, specifically? What is our sacred responsibility, together? What important and even quirky way can I participate in a community, shining their collective light, and letting that light do its clarifying work, so that we can all move a little closer to the Love that is both now and not yet?
Queries:
What does it mean to be “the light of the world”?
What can dampen or conceal people’s light?
How can we shine our light? How can we help others shine their light?
What do we need to shine a light on? What needs to be made clear?
What alternative metaphors capture the heart of what Jesus is saying?