How To Bring Light Into Our Lives
Last week I finished my story with a quote from the Prophet Isaiah. Today I want to start with another one of his quotes.
“I the Lord have called unto you in righteousness, and have taken hold of your hand, and submitted you as people’s covenant, as a light into the nations.” (Isaiah 42:6)
In his 2017 UN speech, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu quoted Isaiah stating that the State of Israel is “a light unto the nations, bringing salvation to the end of the earth.” But why should we care or believe the predictions of a prophet who lived in the years 740-681 BCE? Or pay attention to the words of the Israeli Prime Minister, who cannot seem to figure out how to bring the light onto the relationship between Israel and their Palestinian neighbors? And what does it have to do with our lives?
To try to answer those questions, I will go to the beginning. In the Torah, the light was the first act of the creation of our World. And God said, “Let there be light” and there was light. God saw that light was good, and he separated the light from darkness. God called the light “day” and the darkness he called “night.” (Genesis 1:3-5)
For us humans, perhaps it is difficult to fathom how just by saying something it can come to fruition. Since we are God’s creatures, can we do the same? I found an answer in a small book that I always carry with me called, “The Law of Success” by Paramahansa Yogananda.
“Mind is the creator of everything. You should therefore guide it to create only good. If you cling to a certain thought with dynamic will power, it finally assumes a tangible outward form.” Since “light was good”, by focusing on having it in our lives, our life is going to be good.
However light manifests in different forms. Which one should we focus on? For example, photography means, “drawing with the light”. Thus, after finding the correct combination between the light and the darkness, all that is left to the photographer is to press the shutter button. I’ve had to practice a lot to develop a sensitivity, vision, timing, and to be in the right place and time for my final images to be good. I believe that the same principle applies to any of our lives’ endeavors. There is another element to make our vision successful. After we find and capture the light, we have to share it with others. Perhaps this is why I am writing these stories and bringing you my images.
This year, due to the rotation of the Jewish holidays, which are tied to the lunar circle, the Festival of Lights – Hanukkah, was before Christmas. But lights of one event easily moved into the other. Many start their Christmas decorating right after Thanksgiving. Xmas day is immediately followed by the festivities of Kwanzaa (December 26th), a week-long celebration of the West African diaspora in the Americas. During the Kwanzaa holiday, seven candles are lit in a Kinara, which symbolizes the seven principles of Kwanzaa. Do we have to wait to the end of the year to enjoy light? Of course, not. You can bring light into your life any time, just imagining the joy you have from the experience. I recently discovered there is a new movie titled, “Let There Be Light” made by the husband and wife team Kevin and Sam Sorbo.
P.S. A photo camera “sees” light differently than humans do, but it is up to the photographer to make the image more interesting, as you can see from the four images of the holiday lights.
Enjoy and Share With A Friend!
Happy Holidays!
Do Not Keep Me As A Secret!
Smile And Please SHARE It With A Friend!
Cheers,
