Let’s be luminous

In the very early morning hours of December 21, 2010, viewers in unclouded areas of the Western Hemisphere were able to watch a full eclipse of the moon. It was an awesome sight from my back deck. There wasn’t a cloud in the sky. The moon seemed closer and bigger than I’d ever seen it. And when Earth’s shadow darkened the moon, you could see what appeared to be billions of stars, in the area just around the moon’s outline. It looked like a Hubble Telescope deep-space photo, where the stars appear to go on forever. 

Rather than obscuring the stars’ light, the darkness close to the moon made the stars seem brighter to my eye. I couldn’t help thinking that no matter how dark situations may seem, it’s actually provable that what God created to shine will shine. The human sense might say, “Really? We were created to shine? Everyone?”

In his Sermon on the Mount (see Matt. 5—7 ), Jesus taught that each and every one of us was meant to shine. Early in that famous instruction, he said: “You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven” (5:14–16 , English Standard Version).

The light Jesus was talking about requires defining, in order for us to understand why it should and will shine in us, as he promised. This light is spiritual. It is pure God-created individuality, and it must shine to express its source. 

It’s important to acknowledge that good works are direct evidence of God’s loving will in action.

From ordinary folks to the famous, people in all walks of life have explored the idea of letting their light shine—desiring it, analyzing it, trying to improve on it. To the crowd gathered to hear Jesus speak on the hillside that day, his message was universal. Jesus was speaking to each person, identifying his or her own light as valuable, something God-given, to be shared, something not to be hoarded or feared and hidden. His was a collective description of shining, as well as an individual one.

Humankind may think they need to work at making their personal light shine more brightly in order to extend their status socially, politically, or professionally, or just to feel good about themselves. This may mean chasing stardom in a profession, or perhaps striving to be a superparent or superspouse. And to many, finding a humanitarian outlet is a laudable “shining effort.” The world frequently acknowledges and rewards unselfish contribution, whether of money, time, or talent, as exemplary. And we all know of extraordinary human models of those “good works,” who contribute to others’ well-being. 

But to live a life that shines spiritually requires examining one’s heart and motives. What’s problematic is when we just try to increase our own light, without acknowledging the source. This tends to confuse the result with the cause. It can lead to accepting a worthy activity as a kind of credential that says, “I am better/brighter/worthy of more love because I did this thing”—rather than doing something because of brighter motives and more spiritualized, God-centered thinking. 

Yes, it’s true that Jesus intimated good works were the evidence that one’s light is shining. But it’s important to acknowledge that good works are direct evidence of God’s loving will in action. The truly spiritual, good works happen when we consecrate ourselves to expressing the nature of God and doing His will, above advancing a personal place or position.

Jesus did not have credentials or a position of human authority. The impact of his light could never be fully assessed in personal terms. Ultimately, everyone must let go of believing one is valuable because of personality, activities, or even extraordinary achievements. The impact of believing that one’s light is self-powered must be yielded up. A mind-set of believing one needs to muster this light from within can also lead to believing one doesn’t measure up to expectations, a sure signal that personality seems to be the source of potential, rather than God. Sheer pride in accomplishments or human ability is based on the same mistaken belief that we are the source of light, rather than God. When we’re depending on this personal sense, progress and happiness are darkened. 

Jesus’ teaching “Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven” (Matt. 5:16 ) rightly orders cause and effect. God is the cause, and we are the effect. Every man and woman has been created with complete capacity to fill his or her God-designed niche. Living that unique niche frees, satisfies with purpose and achievement, and glorifies God. 

Mary Baker Eddy, who founded this magazine, received great public attention for what she accomplished. Many have ranked her contributions to humanity as compelling and extraordinary. A major part of her life-work was to clearly distinguish the relationship between God and His creation, man. She wrote in Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures, “Man is not God, but like a ray of light which comes from the sun, man, the outcome of God, reflects God” (p. 250 ). Again, the mistaken idea that we create the light, or that we are the light—rather than God’s reflection—reverses cause and effect.

Acknowledging God as the immediate cause of one’s value and abilities inspires. It has a healing, enlightening effect. For example, some years ago, my husband was working and supporting our family, while at the same time trying to make a career change. He was studying for a real estate broker’s test by doing the reading and studying without taking classroom coursework, in order to save time and money. Authorities in this field told my husband they didn’t know of anyone who had passed without taking classes, and he became anxious. It seemed he was trying to do what couldn’t be done. 

But then he was inspired to pray with the first tenet of Christian Science: “As adherents of Truth, we take the inspired Word of the Bible as our sufficient guide to eternal Life” (Science and Health, p. 497 ). He was then prompted to open the Bible, and he found this promise: “Thou wilt light my candle: the Lord my God will enlighten my darkness” (Ps. 18:28 ). Immediately, he told me, he was reassured that every bit of intelligence and ability was being provided by God, the divine Mind he reflected. God was the source. These ideas helped him. He passed the test with a high score, to the surprise of those in charge of credentialing, and became a real estate broker.

Who owns our light? God does! When we acknowledge that individual capacities are wholly God-created and enabled, that enlightened mental stance spiritualizes our motives. It doesn’t lead to despair of abilities, or to an inward, personally-centered effort to brighten oneself above another. 

Mrs. Eddy clearly understood her own unique niche, or individual expression of God, and defended it in prayer, as she urged students of Christian Science to do. Of everyone who strives to live above the darkness of human turmoil, she wrote, “Every luminary in the constellation of human greatness, like the stars, comes out in the darkness to shine with the reflected light of God” (Miscellaneous Writings 1883–1896, p. 340 ). 

God never created identities to compete for light. There is an infinite supply to shine through each individual. Think of that Hubble deep-space picture of unfathomable numbers of stars. Such a picture hints at the infinite potential each one of us has to shine the light we reflect from God.

Jesus’ works shine the light of possibility in each individual consciousness. They inspire human thought to glorify God. And Jesus knew his source. When John the Baptist’s followers asked if Jesus was the promised Messiah (see Matt. 11:2–6 ), Jesus explained his works as evidencing his spiritual nature, evidencing the Christ, which Science and Health defines as “the true idea of God” (p. 323 ). Jesus later commended Peter, when that disciple recognized the real nature of Jesus’ light as the Christ (see Matt. 16:13–19 ). The Christ had been prophesied for centuries before Jesus’ appearance. This is especially illuminated in the Gospel of John (see John 1:4–16 ), where Jesus’ identification as the Messiah is described as the “true Light which lighteth every man that cometh into the world.” Every man lighted! The wonderful thing is that Jesus’ light showed us we can emulate his example and healing because we reflect the same source, as sons and daughters of God. 

Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount gives excellent instruction on how to live spiritual qualities—qualities such as receptivity to spirituality, humility, purity, honesty, mercy, and love. Those qualities characterize the potential each has to let his or her reflected light shine. And the natural, spiritual effect includes healing of all kinds.

Spiritual motives are the fire that stokes unselfish thoughts and acts. They honor God, their source, and sparkle like those stars in the darkness. Mary Baker Eddy affirmed this in a message to the members of one Christian Science branch church: “Let your light shine. Keep in mind the foundations of Christian Science—one God and one Christ. Keep personality out of sight, and Christ’s ‘Blessed are ye’ will seal your apostleship” (The First Church of Christ, Scientist, and Miscellany, p. 191 ).