Overview
Since the beginning of the Religious Society of Friends, we have found “the Light” to be a helpful way of talking about the Divine. Today, we often speak about “the Light within” and “holding each other in the Light,” but not all Friends know that the image of the Light comes from the Bible, especially the Gospel of John.
From the Gospel of John, early Friends learned two important things. They learned first that Christ is the true Light, who shines in the heart of every single person in the world – whether or not they are Christians (John 1:9). This made Quakers more open to being respectful of other spiritual paths and religions, although that respect has never been perfect. Today, not all Friends believe that the Light is Christ, but we still believe that God may speak to anyone, of any religious faith – or of no religious faith at all.
Early Friends also learned from the book of John that even when the Light is surrounded by darkness, the darkness cannot overpower it (John 1:5). The Light – the Spirit – the Divine – the Inward Christ – fills us up the way that a candle fills up a dark room. Even when we don’t know what to do or how to speak to God about what we are feeling, the Light is shining within us. We are never alone.
Credits: Shared with permission from the Quaker Religious Education Collaborative