Light Within

By Brad Henderson

At the close of worship yesterday, I mentioned the Celtic Christian belief that all of Creation is a sacred vessel of the Light of God. Here are a few more words on the subject: “Too often in our Western religious traditions we have been given the impression that sin has had the power to undo what God has woven into the very fabric of being. Redemption in such models of spirituality is about light coming from afar to shine in what is essentially dark. In the Celtic tradition, on the other hand, redemption is about light being liberated from the heart of creation and from the essence of who we are. It has not been overcome by darkness. Rather, the light is held in terrible bondages within us, waiting to be set free. ” (J. Philip Newell, The Book of Creation, p. 12)

Hmmmm. If the Celts were right, then our habit of categorizing people and things as either Good or Evil is way off the mark. If it is indeed true that the Light of God inhabits all of Creation, then we are challenged to believe that all of Creation, including the things and people we may already have consigned to the Dark Side, are in fact, also bearers of the Light of God and not only capable, but worthy of redemption.

Newell again: “Redemption is not the bringing of light to a creation that is essentially dark, but rather the liberating of light from the heart of life. ” (p. 13) How might this change our perception of the world and people around us? When you read the headlines and hear the stories of the horrible things that people have done, can we still see them as bearers of the Light of God?

Hereʼs the tough part: Godʼs not waiting for our approval. He is already loving what he has created, and working for its redemption. After all, isnʼt this what the Incarnation, the Word made flesh, was all about? The crazy love of God will not let anything get between us and him, so he has woven himself into the very fabric of Creation, and in the end, will bring all of it, even kicking and screaming, home.