Be The Light: A 4th of July Message

“To be human is to live by sunlight and moonlight, with anxiety and delight, admitting limits and transcending them, falling down and rising up. To want a life with only half of these things in it is to want half a life, shutting the other half away where it will not interfere with one’s bright fantasies of the way things ought to be.” -Barbara Brown Taylor, Learning to Walk in the Dark

Light and dark are the colors of life. No life is ever all of one or all of the other.

This is evident for many of us this 4^th of July, the day we celebrate the independence of the United States of America. As daylight fades and darkness falls upon us, we gather in city parks and neighborhood driveways to witness crackling explosions, brilliant bursts of light, and glittering sparks as they cascade through the skies.

Fireworks can evoke a variety of feelings—from excitement, pride, and awe to anxiety, fear, and disbelief. I enjoy the displays but abhor the loud sounds. I think of shuddering dogs hiding under beds and the trauma that veterans may experience. I consider how much money is spent on fireworks that could be used in so many ways to help others. Still, with conflicted feelings, I watch and wonder.

To live in this country, to live in my body, is to face the realities of light and darkness. I have ideas of what democracy looks like, what the ideal is (see The Pledge of Allegiance of My Heart here). But I acknowledge that America is a work in progress, just as I am. Holding the tension between what is reality and what is our hope is a challenge. How do we stay present to the suffering in our souls and the world without losing the light inside?

This, my dear, is the greatest challenge to being alive: to witness the injustice of this world, and not allow it to consume our light.’ – Thich Nhat Hanh

This year, my reading, reflection, retreat, and prayer have focused on holding the tension between darkness and light. I share some words of wisdom that have pointed me in the right direction, to hope and light.

“TO BE HOPEFUL in bad times is not just foolishly romantic. It is based on the fact that human history is a history not only of cruelty, but also of compassion, sacrifice, courage, kindness. What we choose to emphasize in this complex history will determine our lives. If we see only the worst, it destroys our capacity to do something. If we remember those times and places—and there are so many—where people have behaved magnificently, this gives us the energy to act, and at least the possibility of sending this spinning top of a world in a different direction. And if we do act, in however small a way, we don’t have to wait for some grand utopian future. The future is an infinite succession of presents, and to live now as we think human beings should live, in defiance of all that is bad around us, is itself a marvelous victory.” ― Howard Zinn

Joy is an act of spiritual and political resistance, writes Rabbi Sharon Kleinbaum. We are the moon shining in the dark. We can be the light, spread joy and kindness, practice gratitude, and keep hope alive, while acknowledging we shall always live in challenging times. Here are some more ideas to be the light:

Be Kind Kindness Matters

Be Creative Tree of Life

Connect with Nature Light and Shadow: Atoms of Delight

Live with Wonder Ooh, I Wonder

Be the Light 2025 Word of the Year: LIGHT

Tend the Spark. Listen to the lyrics of Tending the Spark.

Practice listening to your inner voice. Create a SoulCollage® card. Collage is a creative and intuitive act of cutting images out of their original context and imaginatively placing them in a new context. Listen. Let yourself be drawn to an image even if you do not understand why. Listen. Play with dark and light images. Do they go together? Do each belong on a card of their own? Listen.Begin to frame images that “belong together” into a collage. Playfully rearrange images. Try different backgrounds and orientations. Listen. How does changing the background to an image change the meaning? Listen.When it feels finished, glue your images down (or take a photo). Trim edges. Reflect, journal, and creatively pray with your card. Listen. The creative process is about listening to self and spirit. It is about the process, not the product. Listen with the ear of your heart. -St. Benedict

Consider using the idea of light, darkness, or dance as a springboard for a card. Consider: