March 25: Day 84

STEP TWELVE CONTINUED
 
Having recognized the difference between religion and spirituality, we strive to be true to the Spirit within all of Divine Creation and to be a Light to point the way.

Instruction: Be the Light.

Being the Light is nothing more than being the real person we were meant to be and the person we truly are. One of my favorite expressions from A Course in Miracles says that “I am as God created me.”[1] If we are created in the image of The Divine, then whatever The Divine is, we are, too. If that is Light or Energy or any other form of existence known or unknown, then we are a spark or a branch of our Higher Power. For the sake of today’s lesson, let’s assume The Divine is Light. It is obvious to me that we are lesser Lights than our Higher Power, but we still possess the same qualities even though we may not be using them to our full potential. When someone begins to reach the Light and display it more fully in their lives, they begin to attract others who are tired of the darkness and who are looking for a better way. Surely, all the problems that organized religions have contributed to the grief of the world is not necessarily the only way to reach the Light, or even the best way. We aren’t looking for a new religion to follow. We aren’t looking for a new prophet, guru, or messiah. The ones who display the most Light in their lives are not interested in being leaders to be worshipped but lighthouses to show others how to find their own path.

Consider the stationary lighthouse. It does not travel down a path to safety with followers lined up behind it. A lighthouse stays in one place and lights the landscape around it so that travelers can find their way in the darkness. The light from the lighthouse emanates from the heart or the center of the lighthouse, and it illuminates points of land and sea for miles around. It would seem silly to me to sit at the feet of a lighthouse to worship the structure. It is only a means to an end. As we come into our understanding of how the spiritual and the religious work together at times, and how they oppose each other at times, we come to see our responsibility is not to draw people into our belief system but to help them to understand they have their own Light and then encourage them to let it shine brighter every day.

Today’s Assignment is for us to examine our light and determine if we are a stationary lighthouse or a roving flashlight trying to show others that our path is the right and only way. Are we encouraging others to follow us, or are we encouraging others to find their own way?


[1] Schucman, Dr. Helen (Scribe) (2008-08-01). A Course in Miracles (Kindle Location 14274). Foundation for Inner Peace. Kindle Edition.