Follow the Light

Light has always been a symbol of religion. Jesus said, “I am the light of the world.” The Buddha was the “Enlightened One,” the one who had become a “knower,” who had seen the light. The Quran speaks of God as “Light upon Light,” and the Hebrew Scriptures declare, “The Lord lights up my darkness.”

The morning breaks, the sun pierces through the clouds, a flame dispels the darkness: Now awash in brilliance, hearts and minds forever leave behind their bewilderment and gloom. Is that how religion works? Not always.

There is a story about a man who comes upon his friend one night, crawling around beneath a streetlamp. “Charlie,” the man asks, “What are you doing?” Charlie answers: “I’m looking for my car keys.” Being a good friend, the man joins Charlie down on the concrete.

After several minutes of crawling about on the ground prove unfruitful, the man stands…