Light

Have you ever paused to spend a moment or two looking at the light?

I do not mean zoning out with your eyes fixated on a lamp in a house, like a half-dead creature.

I do not mean simply gazing up at the sun, in doing so causing yourself to go half-blind.

I do not mean merely staring thoughtlessly at the moon, getting lost in its cool tones.

What I want to know is if you have ever looked at the way the light breaks through. No, not the light itself, but the way the light interrupts the darkness. Have you ever zoomed out and observed it, pondered it, turned it over and over in your mind?

Light itself is beautiful and powerful. This we know. But perhaps even more beautiful, more powerful, is the way light interrupts the darkness.

Walk through a forest on a sunny day. As the sun rises, it will slowly make its way through the dense canopy of leaves, creating beautiful shadows that dance before you on the forest floor. It will peek through branches, playing a glittering game of hide-and-seek with your eyes. When autumn comes, the sun will set red, yellow, and orange leaves ablaze, creating a captivating golden masterpiece. Look above you, you will see glimpses of the light. Look around you, you will see evidence of the light. But look only at the light and you will miss the beauty that is only created when darkness and light interact.

The light itself is indeed beautiful and powerful. But have you ever looked at the way the light breaks through and interrupts the darkness?

Stand under the night sky on a clear winter’s night. As the sun dips below the earth, a new light makes itself known to us. Glittering dots of light, known to us as stars, begin popping up in the blackness of the night sky. Some appear to stand alone, others collaborate with fellow specks of light to create images and patterns, known to us as constellations. Sometimes, as you stare up at a night sky littered with these beautiful balls of light, you will see light dart quickly across the void. Known to us as shooting stars, these quick flashes of light send excitement coursing through our veins. Stars interrupt the darkness, breaking through the black night sky, and create one of the most beautiful scenes known to man. This beautiful scene would be lost, however, without the darkness. Look only at the light and you will miss the beauty that is only created when darkness and light interact.

The light itself is indeed beautiful and powerful. But have you ever looked at the way the light breaks through and interrupts the darkness?

Look at yourself. Take a mental step out of your body and examine yourself from a new perspective. Do not be alarmed at the darkness you see, the darkness your eyes are likely first drawn to. We all have darkness within us. Each and every one of us. Darkness for you may look like a history of broken relationships, battles with depression, crimes committed, or a looming sense that you have no purpose. The darkness is disheartening. I know because I have spent much time looking at it. But in my time looking at the darkness within me, I have discovered something beautiful: there is also great light.

Take another look at yourself. Do you see the light? It exists in you always. It reveals itself in your eyes, in your smile, in the way you walk and talk. It peeks through the canopy of leaves that sometimes covers your mind. It darts across the empty void of your broken heart. Oh yes, there is great light within you. It breaks through the darkness in you. It interrupts it. The light in you is radiant and resilient. It will not be outdone by darkness; it will not be extinguished. But remember, it is not merely the light that is beautiful. Look only at the light and you will miss the beauty that is only created when darkness and light interact.

Have you ever paused to spend a moment or two looking at the light?

I do not mean zoning out with your eyes fixated on a lamp in a house, like a half-dead creature.

I do not mean simply gazing up at the sun, in doing so causing yourself to go half-blind.

I do not mean merely staring thoughtlessly at the moon, getting lost in its cool tones.

What I want to know is if you have ever looked at the way the light breaks through. No, not the light itself, but the way the light interrupts the darkness. Have you ever zoomed out and observed it, pondered it, turned it over and over in your mind?

Light itself is beautiful and powerful. This we know. But perhaps even more beautiful, more powerful, is the way light interrupts the darkness.