Believe in the Light

 I'm not sure I agree with the French poet and dramatist, Edmond Rostand, who wrote, "It's only at night that it's nice to believe in the light."

Unless I'm misunderstanding what he's saying... 

From a theological and spiritual point of view, of course, the Light often stands for the Divine Other. Quakers in particular frequently speak of the "Light of God", of "holding yourself and others in the Light" and about "experiences of the Light".  And one of the Christian views of Jesus is as the Light of the World. 

I find this way of referring to the Divine Other, to God, helpful. My imagination can picture God as a warm, yellow Light which is all around us and also emanating from us, because I believe that God is both transcendent and immanent, both "here" and "everywhere". And in some special way, it also holds us - holds the divine essence of who we are as individuals. 

One of the Quaker advices (no. 32) suggests that we "bring into God's light those emotions, attitudes and prejudices in yourself which lie at the root of destructive conflict, acknowledging your need for forgiveness and grace." Which I guess is why psychologists and spiritual teachers call the process of acknowledging our inner failings "shadow work". It is our job to bring the bits of ourselves we would much rather ignore out of the shadows into "God's light" so that we can be helped to acknowledge them and overcome them, to integrate them, so that we can become whole.

So no, Monsieur Rostand, I believe in the Light all the time, not only at night.