Reach Toward the Light

Squash, tomatoes, beans, cucumbers and more are sprouting in seed trays. Nurtured by regular, but not too much watering, these tiny seeds are bursting into plants that will be summer vegetables. As one who can kill rocks, I am enthralled with this daily process.

What all these young plants have in common is that they reach toward the light. Every day these seedlings lean into the light that spills through the window. The trays are rotated daily to keep the plants growing straight and strong. It is a marvelous thing to behold.

It is also an apt image for us in these uncertain and troubling times. We do our best when we reach toward the light.

In a literal sense, it means going outdoors and soaking up some sunshine. Feeling the sun’s warmth and the cool spring air is bound to raise our spirits.

In a deeper metaphorical sense it means reaching to the light that is within us, within all people and all creation.  Holiness resides at the core of all life. It is part of what it means to be created in the image of the Divine. All around us is holiness.

Light and darkness are repeating themes in most sacred texts. In the First Testament, commonly called the Old Testament, the word light is used 139 times. In the Second Testament, commonly called the New Testament, it is used 93 times. The word light is always used in relation to dispelling darkness, both in the world and in us. The light of the holy within and around us means reaching for wholeness, peace, love and justice.

In the Quran, light is a central concept in understanding Allah. The image of light is prevalent in the beautiful poetry of the Quran. Allah is the light of the heavens and the earth.

In Buddhism, Enlightenment is a life-long goal. It refers to the knowledge or wisdom of a Buddha. For millennia, in response to the struggles and sorrows of life on this planet, people use the image of a flame (light) and pass it to one another. It is a way to symbolically take part in the agonizingly slow but impossibly tender awakening of the world as a whole.

There is within us all an inextinguishable light. This inner light dispels the darkness of fear and change. In these days of social isolation when it feels like our light is growing dim, we can nourish it through keeping in touch with close friends and family, enjoying the beauty of spring and engaging in a spiritual practice like meditation or yoga. Ten minutes of quiet and silence per day can be life changing. We are nurtured by all that brings light into our lives. When darkness and fear are overwhelming, we can imagine the light within us and consider what we can do to reach toward it.

The same light that is within us is in every single person. In yoga practice it is common to greet one another saying, “Namaste.” It means that the holy in me greets the holy in you. In the challenge of isolation and being cooped up with partners and children, it can be helpful to remember that the same light shines in us all.

The light that shines within us also shines in all of creation. It means that the ground we tread on is holy, the water is holy, the sky is holy…all of it. We can be deeply nourished by the holiness and light that is around us every day.

These are days of struggle. Life as we know it is and will continue to be radically different. It is unclear exactly what life will look like. Uncertainty is an unsettling thing. It shakes our fragile but persistent delusion that we are in control. In truth, we are in control of very little in our lives. If we have any doubt about this we have only to look at a global pandemic that has ravaged the world and isn’t done yet. This lack of control can be mitigated by seeking the light within and around us.

Reach toward the light. It is good for the soul, good for others and good for all creation.