Article July 8, 1944 Issue

The Right Light

LOUISE KNIGHT WHEATLEY COOK

A bowl of Bohemian glass shaped like a big bubble used to stand upon a table in the home of a Christian Scientist. If placed in a dim corner it looked like any other piece of good glass, thin, clear, and quite colorless, but when brought out into the light all sorts of iridescent hues would instantly appear, changing as the sunshine changed into rose-pink, a bit of gorgeous purple, lovely blue-green green, or pale gold. One would never have known it, and yet it was the same glass bowl. What had caused the sudden transformation? The right light. Nothing else.

In an exhibition of paintings, each artist is particular to see that his picture is properly placed, neither too high nor too low, not too much in the shadow, nor in too bright a light. A dealer in Oriental rugs in showing his wares to a customer is careful to lay the rugs with their nap running towards the light, rather than away from it, in order to bring out their full richness and beauty. Everyone knows what an expert photographer can do with a camera. He shifts it this way and that, with tireless adjustments of light and shadow, until the perfect result is attained, and even the plainest face may be transformed into something akin to loveliness. Surely, if we can spend so much time and thought on matters of such relative unimportance, should we not be equally zealous regarding that which is a thousand times more vital, that is the seeing of our brother in the right light?

It sometimes happens that a friend or a fellow worker may seem to be unkind or unjust or unreasonable in his attitude towards us. If so, let us not be too ready to accept the outward appearance of the situation, but do as the Bible admonishes, and "judge righteous judgment." The bubble vase gave the impression of being nothing but ordinary colorless glass so long as it remained in its dark corner. Let us bring our brother out into the light of Truth and see what will happen. We may discover many fine qualities of which no one ever knew, but which were there all the time.

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