It is natural that the mention of light as the antithesis of darkness would occupy a major status in the Biblical text: “And God said: ‘Let there be light’.” (Gen 1: 3). It does not speak of light in the absolute, but it speaks as if it is assigning a specific task for that “light”, one of dispelling the darkness. The writer of the passage does not stress the relation between light and the sun. And this brings us to the understanding of light in the Bible.
When we read the beginning of the gospel of John which relates to the above passage in Genesis, we understand that “life was the light of the world” (John 4: 1). And the life that the Gospel author refers to is in the Logos (the Word) who was in the beginning. This above mentioned life is uncreated; and if the task of the created light is the dispelling of darkness, then the life which is in the Divine Logos is the same divine life that is in us which takes us from the “spiritual nothingness” we are in to “spiritual existence”. In this context, we have two sayings of Jesus the first of which is “I am the light of the world” (John 5: 9) in which the light is again the antithesis of darkness and the second saying is of the disciples “You are the light of the world” (Matthew 14: 5) as it came in the “Sermon on the Mount”. Putting the two sayings together, we find that Christ reveals himself as the source of light and He calls his beloved to acquire His radiance.
The light shines by itself and if you forget the source of its emission, you remain in the darkness. We are in a dynamics of giving and receiving light; this is clear in the Psalms of the Old Testament where it says: “In your light do we see light” (Psalms 4:34). The emphasis in these verses is on the light of the righteous. Loving God in righteousness is the dwelling in the light and betraying God is darkness. That is the kingdom of Joy and love.
That is revealed in the Last Supper when Jesus was asked about who would betray him, Jesus answered, “It is the one to whom I will give this piece of bread when I have dipped it in the dish.” Then, dipping the piece of bread, he gave it to Judas, the son of Simon Iscariot……………….. As soon as Judas had taken the bread, he went out. And it was night.”(John 13: 26-30). The word “night” here could be considered as a figure of speech meaning that Judas’ heart has become darkened as opposed to the spiritual light in the glory of Christ; for John says that after Judas had gone Jesus says, ‘Now the Son of Man is glorified and God is glorified in him’.” We find much symbolism in the Gospel of John.
We also find that symbolism of light in the rituals of the Church. The gold which is the foundation color in iconography, the halo around the Saints’ head, the lighting of candles by the faithful, the candles lit for use in the Liturgy….etc. In one of the services of the Great Lent, the priest carries a candle before the faithful proclaiming: “Come take light from the light in which there is no darkness”. This is done nowadays during daytime when no lighting is needed. In the Latin Church, there is a similar service to the Orthodox service of Holy Saturday during which the eyes of the believers are looking at the visible light while the hearts go beyond that to behold the Light who is Life.
One of my favorite verses in the Qura’an is Sura24: 35 “God is the light of the heavens and the earth; a likeness of His light is as a niche in which is a lamp, the lamp is in a glass, (and) the glass is as it were a brightly shining star, lit from a blessed olive-tree, neither eastern nor western, the oil whereof almost gives light though fire touch it not– light upon light– God guides to His light whom He pleases, and God sets forth parables for men, and God is Cognizant of all things.” The Qura’an here confirms that God is light in Himself, and then compares the radiance of God with the sensory radiance of the light of an oil lamp, then ascends with a move of love to God saying: “light upon light”. Yes the Creator is light in Himself and He brings people out of the darkness to the light in general and He specifically says that there is guidance in the Torah and in the Gospels. The Quran rejects any claim of light the source of which is not God; it says in Sura 24: 40, “Whoever God does not attribute light to him does not have the light.”
This indicates that the meaning of the word light in the three monotheistic religions is the same; light is God and only God, whence He is the source, the origin and radiance regardless of what disapprovers say.
Since all religious groupings seek the light and its guidance, then it remains our duty towards Truth that we love God as light not only in Himself, but also in how He shines in the others in the text of their scriptures; because everyone who teaches his religion to his own people, is supposed to reveal what light there is in the religion of the other. That does not reduce our commitment to our own religion in the way The Light is revealed in it.
If you are committed to a certain religion, you do not necessarily reject all the others. As someone said: “My religion is that of love wherever it is found.” So of you find the light outside your own religious boundaries, you feel you belong there because you seek that Love that “broadcasts its tunes” here and there. That is the true openness that saves you now and at the resurrection. And such a blessing can be given to the common people and not only to those who are knowledgeable in religion. This is so because the illumined hearts can see what great intellects cannot.
Before you are open to others of different religions, it is important that you submit yourself to God making only Him the lord of your heart always returning to Him in everything. Without that condition, there is no Light. Without that you become a slave to the “letter” in religion and the meanings of words and rituals the warmth of which you do not experience. Those who have their hearts set on God, those whose pilgrimage is to His Blessed Face, are his people and beloved. Those, whoever they are, have been illumined with His brightness. I do not say that all religions are one and the same; and I do not say that they teach the same about God, but I see God in His followers wherever they are found and I get blessed through them. Those who do pilgrimage to God, to His person and to His light are my brothers; there are no limits for those who love. We do not stop at the fact that God is light; but that He illuminates those who want, and the light in me yearns for the light in you.
Translated by Riad Mofarej
Original Text: ” – 01.08.2009
