“You are the light of the world!”  

Matthew 5:14

One of my favorite quotes of all time is from Marianne Williamson where she encourages all of us to let our light so shine!  It reminds me of the song I used to sing in Sunday School as a little girl.  “This little light of mine!  I’m going to let it shine!  Let it shine! Let it shine!  Let it shine!”  But as I have grown into an adult, there are moments when I have thought I haven’t been worthy enough to shine or I am to scared to shine.  Marianne’s quote pushes us to push through that.  

This is the same message that we have heard from Jesus 2000 years ago when he said to a large crowd of people, “You are the light of the world!” My dear friends, it can be hard to shine in a time of Covid and uncertainty and anxiety, but let us not hide our lights, but rather put them on a lampstand for everyone to see!  Bottom line, I need your light.  Because when you shine, it gives me the courage to shine as well!

“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, fabulous?’ Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won’t feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine, as children do. We were 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.”

Yessssssssss!