Shining a Light

According to the Gospel of Thomas (a collection of sayings attributed to Jesus), “If you bring forth

what is within you, what you bring forth will save you. If you do not bring forth what is within you,

what you do not bring forth will destroy you.”

This is a challenging piece of scripture, and it cuts both ways. It suggests that transformation is possible only when we bring forth those aspects of ourselves (and, by extension, our culture and society) that usually remain hidden. It also suggests that destruction is the inevitable result of our failure to attend to this task.

The first step in bringing forth what is within us is to shine a light to see what’s in there. Those things that are hidden may be positive in nature—hidden talents, inner beauty, and any of a number of manifestations of the divine. Or those hidden things may be negative—false assumptions, bigoted beliefs, dangerous fears and blind hatreds.

Part of the work we do as a religious community is to find ways to illuminate those things that dwell

in shadow, both one the personal level and in our larger society. We do this sacred work together because there is always more hidden than can be held by one person alone. And we do this work together because many of those hidden things are, in fact, not unique to us, but are universal issues and concerns.

This work of illumination is often difficult. Not only does it reveal things we’d rather not acknowledge, but it also brings to light our own responsibility for changing things that need to be changed. In other words, this work reveals that things are messed up (hardly surprising, but still difficult) and that we have the power to do something about them (which can be both heartening and frightening).

Anytime we delve below the surface, we find discomforting truths. And we find unimagined resources. Marianne Williamson suggests that “Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness, that most frightens us.”

Bringing forth what is within us is challenging on multiple levels, then. However, if we are willing to engage in this work together, however challenging it might be, we are opening ourselves up to the possibility of transformation.

Make no mistake: this is holy work. Hard work, to be sure, but work that just might save us.