The Light We Carry - Rev. Sheryl Padgett, DDiv
The Light We Carry
Sermon Notes
Light is one of the most powerful spiritual symbols in Scripture. From “Let there be light” in Genesis to Jesus’ declaration, “You are the light of the world,” light represents Divine presence, understanding, and the Christ within us. Charles Fillmore described the inner light as “the illumination of Spirit resident in the center of every man’s being.”We do not have to create this light. It is already within us, waiting to be recognized and expressed.
More Than We Can See
Visible light is only a small portion of the electromagnetic spectrum. We are constantly surrounded by forms of electromagnetic radiation our eyes cannot perceive. This offers a beautiful spiritual reminder: Just because we cannot see something does not mean it is absent. We may not see the answer to our prayer or understand where life is leading us, but faith reminds us that our present perception is not the whole picture.
Quantum physics offers another fascinating metaphor. In the double-slit experiment, individual photons are detected at unpredictable locations, yet as many detections accumulate, an orderly interference pattern emerges. What appears random one event at a time becomes part of a larger pattern.
So it can be with life. We look at one experience and ask, Why did this happen? Why now? But one point is not the whole pattern. There may be possibilities and a larger picture that we cannot yet see.
Let There Be Light
Metaphysically, “Let there be light” represents Divine understanding entering consciousness.
When confusion becomes understanding—let there be light.
When resentment becomes forgiveness—let there be light.
When fear becomes faith—let there be light.
In the Transfiguration, Jesus takes Peter, James, and John up the mountain and “his face shone like the sun.”Metaphysically, the mountain represents higher consciousness, while the disciples represent faith, discernment, and love. Jesus does not remain on the mountain. He returns to the world.
We go up the mountain in prayer. Then we bring the light back down.
You Are the Light
Jesus said, “You are the light of the world.” Yet we sometimes cover that light with our own “bushel baskets”—fear, resentment, shame, bitterness, self-doubt, or the belief that it is too late to change.
These things do not destroy our light. They cover it.
Like white light passing through a prism and revealing many colors, the one Divine Light expresses uniquely through each of us. We express it through love, creativity, service, compassion, courage, humor, teaching, listening, and countless other ways. As Charles Fillmore wrote, “The development of spiritual light is the destiny of us all.”
Enough Light for the Next Step
We often want God to illuminate the entire road ahead. Instead, spiritual guidance may be more like a flashlight: we see enough to take one step, and then enough light appears for the next.
We don't need enough light for the next ten years. We need enough light for the next step.
The world does not need more people complaining about the darkness. It needs people willing to carry light into it.
When you encounter fear, bring faith.
When you encounter hatred, bring love.
When you encounter confusion, bring wisdom.
When you encounter despair, bring hope.
The light you carry may be exactly the light someone else needs to find their way.
Affirmation: The Divine Light shines brightly within me. I see the light, I follow the light, and I freely share my light with the world.
