Blinded by the Light

When I strike out on my morning walk our country lane takes me eastward. The sun is coming up and I have difficulty seeing what is ahead of me. I am blinded by the light, so to speak. Even with the brim of my hat lowered over my eyes I cannot discern the horizon. As soon as I reach Eagle Road I turn around and head toward the house. The sun is now at my back. It is as if I am entering a new world. Everything is clear and the horizon is markedly distinct.
Light is a word that we use a lot in our culture. We would rather think that we are children of the "Enlightenment" than fellows of the "Dark Ages." Christians believe that they are children of the Light and that they are guided by the Light of Truth. Jesus teaches us that we do not light our lamps and then hide them under a bushel basket.
It matters where the light is in our lives. If we imagine that we can run madly in to the light we will be blinded. We might even be burned, regardless of whether the light is the sun or God.
I think we have to come out of the light, with the light behind us or on our shoulders, so to speak. When we come out of the light it clarifies what is before us. With the light behind us we know where we have traveled, what we have seen, and what we have learned. Sometimes that is the best light of all.
Celebrate today the light of Sojourner Truth, Civil Rights prophet at activist, 2009