Do you see the light? That’s an interesting question, isn’t it? It conjures up all kinds of images. According to the online Free Dictionary, “see the light” is an idiom with a range of meanings. It can mean understanding something clearly at last. (Eureka, we see the light!) It can mean anticipating an end to long-lasting problems. (We see the light at the end of the tunnel.) It can mean bringing an object or idea into the open for all to witness. (What was hidden is exposed and it sees the light of day.)
But these meanings are fairly new. Use of the phrase, “see the light” apparently began in the 1600s, when it was simply meant to express a sudden conversion to a particular religious perspective or acceptance of a new religious belief. Even today, if you’ve ever been asked whether you’ve “seen the light,” it may have been by well-meaning believers who hope you share the same fervent commitment they do.
Maybe it’s not so surprising that seeing light became a symbol for religious conviction. After all, light is a powerful and prevalent symbol in Christian scriptures. The stories tell us that the light of a star alerted wise men from the east to the Christ child’s birth. The Apostle Paul is knocked to the ground, and perhaps to his senses, with a vision of a blinding heavenly light. Jesus calls himself the light of the world. But, most intriguingly of all, Jesus tells his followers that they, too, are the light of the world. Seeing the light is significant enough. But being the light may be more important yet.
Rev. Dana Ferguson Myers once told a story about light and its possibilities. Her husband, Wayne Myers, pastor of a church outside Chicago in Oak Park, was visited one day by a Chicago gang member named Anton. It seems Anton had been ordered that morning by his gang’s leader to kill a rival gang member. Anton agreed, but suddenly, for some reason, felt the resistance rising up within him. He couldn’t do it. He wouldn’t do it. Instead, he hopped on a bus and rode until he reached Oak Park. Getting off, he wandered around until he spotted the church. He rang the bell, went in, and told his story to Pastor Wayne. Pastor Wayne then hid Anton in the church for 10 hours before driving him to the airport and buying him a ticket to another state and another life. Today Anton runs a small shoe repair business. He is married and has a daughter. And sometimes, he lights the candles at his church.
Just imagine. If we knew Anton, couldn’t we say with assurance that he had seen the light? And what’s more, wouldn’t his life, now bright with hope, restored purpose, and meaning, bring light to our lives?
We hope you’ve seen the light somehow, someway in your life. And we hope you now shine with its glow, a beacon of possibility, a sign of new beginnings and fresh perspectives for others to witness. See the light. Be the light.
