Light

To walk as children of light means embracing who we are in Christ, and letting that identity shape our thoughts, actions, and relationships.

BIG BANG by Claude Guillemet, Oil on Canvas

Today we begin an eight-week journey through the 8Moves a program created by my friend Glen McWherter, who while working on his Doctor of Ministry degree, has created "a spiritual strategy inspired by Creation’s rhythms, guiding us to our design and purpose.

Each of the 8 Moves ( Light, Water, Land, Time, Life, Work, Rest, and Rebirth) "reveals a deeper truth about who we are and how we live."

​Glen draws his inspiration from Genesis 1:1–2:3 to help us discover God’s design and equip us for making an impact in the world around us. Or, like he writes, "When God moves, we move."

​With that said, let’s begin literally at the very beginning where it all came into being.

When God began to create the heavens and the earth, the earth was complete chaos, and darkness covered the face of the deep, while a wind from God  swept over the face of the waters. Then God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light. And God saw that the light was good, and God separated the light from the darkness.  God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And there was evening and there was morning, the first day.                                                                                                                                                                                            Genesis 1:1-5

Despite what you might have been brought up believing, the bible doesn’t begin with Adam or Eve. Nor with sin, shame, or a set of rules to follow. It simply begins with God saying, “Let there be...” And it was.
 
God speaks the word light. And there is light. Not just any light, but God’s own radiance breaking into the formless void. Before there’s breath or bugs or beaches, there’s illumination. All the glory of God bursting onto the scene with a big bang!
 
Last week we looked at John’s prolog that echoes this passage: “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God… In him was life, and that life was the light of all humankind.”
 
John connects this to Jesus who says, “I am the light of the world.” And Jesus connects it to us saying, “You are the light of the world.”

Look carefully, Jesus doesn’t say you can be or that one day you will be. He says you already are the light. And this Divine-soaked light, the first light that saturated all of creation, God declared “Good.”
 
One could argue the first incarnation wasn’t Jesus, it was this moment that happened long before any star shone over Bethlehem. The moment God said, “Let there be light,” a divine signature was scrawled across galaxies and hearts alike.

This image embedded itself in everything. Which tells me that God’s light is not separate from us. It’s in us, around us, breaking through the cracks we so often try to hide.
 
It shouldn’t surprise that we rely on light to guide us—whether it’s the sun by day or a flashlight at night. As Glen notes, “While light is given to us as a gift, walking in that light requires action on our part. In the natural world, we don’t just observe light—we follow it to navigate, to make choices, and to find our way.” (1)
 
On a more spiritual level, it’s not that different. We not only recognize the light, but we embrace its warmth, and walk in its glow—reflecting God’s truth, justice, and love to the world around us. This is what it means to follow Jesus who embodies God’s light; no matter the cost.
 
Jesus says: “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness but will have the light of life.” Following his way is more than just walking with him. It’s a call to be like him. To see what he does then go and do that.
 
Jesus calls us the light. Which is more than just an identity. It’s our purpose. It’s a choice we must make to walk with his vision and mission, until we become that guiding light for one another.
 
The mystic Mechthild of Magdeburg wrote, “Of all the things God has shown me, the one thing I never saw was a single person who was not lit from within.” (2) God’s light was spoken into creation, which includes me and you. And God declares it good.
 
When we forget or stop believing that God’s light lives in us and around us—we can easily slip into despair. But when we remember that we are divinely made—and made good—we are able to forgive quicker, bless faster, heal sooner. We begin to see the ground beneath our feet ablaze with glory. And the faces of our neighbors shining brighter.
 
The poet Rumi writes, “Don’t you know yet? It is your Light that lights the worlds.”(3)

To walk as children of light means embracing who we are in Christ, and letting that identity shape our thoughts, actions, and relationships.
 
Even if you can’t feel it right now—even if life feels heavy, dark, or hopeless—your light is still there. And no matter how deep that darkness feels, this first sacred rhythm of illumination has already been set in motion. It cannot be extinguished.
 
God’s light shines through everything and everyone—even through you—whether you know it or not. Which means you can stop searching for God “out there” somewhere far away… and start looking within and all around you…right here: In the ordinary. In the overlooked. In that tired face looking back at you in the mirror.
 
You are the light. And that light is good. You can go on with this knowledge and live a wonderful life. But Jesus reminds us that what we do with our light can have a great impact on the healing and redemption of the world.

Jesus tells us plainly—this light isn’t meant to be hidden. It’s meant to shine. Through kindness. Through courage. Through compassion and mercy. Through love, love, love.
 
When we live as children of light, we become glimpses of God’s kingdom breaking through, in the biggest and tiniest ways. This is our call as the church—to be a community that shines together, lighting the way for others to find hope, healing, and home in God’s love.
 
How great would it be if Anamesa were known as that place that radiates God’s love and grace? A holy and safe space where people walk in and, even if they can’t explain it, leave feeling just a little brighter.

As we build our community of love together in the space between, we build upon that first light spoken into creation. In the many ways we love God, love others, and serve both we step into God’s sacred rhythm—bearing the fruits of God’s Spirit.
 
Paul writes, “For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light (for the fruit of the light consists in all goodness, righteousness, and truth).” (Eph. 5:8-9)
 
Through Christ, we are no longer stuck in the dark. He pulls the baskets off us, and frees our light so we can grow the fruit that feeds a world starving for goodness, integrity, and truth.
 
Growing this fruit isn’t as hard as you might think. You can start small:

• Before you scroll through the news, take one deep breath, and pray, “God, help me see Your light today.”
• Before that first sip of coffee, pause and whisper, “Let there be light,” and ask God to help you walk in it.
• Spend your commute practicing seeing the light in others—especially those who hide in the shadows.

 
Always keep your light in play mode and let it run wild:

• DM a kind word to a friend you’ve lost track of.
• Leave a generous tip for your barista or server—maybe add a note that simply says, “You’re doing great.”
  
• Share posts that inspires and lifts others up instead of stirring more outrage.
• DoorDash lunch to someone whose having a hard week.
• Check in on that neighbor whose name you barely know.

 
Wherever you are—at work, online, walking your dog, or sitting in traffic—Jesus says, “Let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to God in heaven” (Matt. 5:16).

Jesus isn’t telling us to produce the light, just let the light in you shine out of you. After all, it’s not my light or your light, it’s God’s light given to us in Christ.
 
Think of a car’s headlight: Christ is the bulb and we’re the reflective backing—spreading and directing his glorious light outward. That’s our invitation this week: to reflect God’s goodness and grace wherever we are.
 
Go and be like a porch light—welcoming others in, not shutting them out. Go and shine in ways that remind others they belong, that they are family, not strangers. Don’t be a harsh spotlight that shames; be a campfire that draws people close to warm their hearts and hands.
 
This is how we build a community of love—in the space between us. A sacred, holy space lit by the same love that was spoken into creation and still echoes through us.

We don’t do this alone. We do it together. When a candle lights another, it doesn’t lose its flame. One spark becomes many, and the whole room glows even brighter.
 
Let’s go together, into Anamesa, passing the flame from heart to heart until every corner of darkness is filled with hope, and every soul radiates love.

Because the same light that spoke the world into being is still speaking. Still shining. Still whispering: “Let there be…”
 
Let there be light.
Let there be courage.
Let there be tenderness.
Let there be hope.
Let there be peace.
Let there be love.
 
And let it begin with us.
 

Inspired by the work of Glen McWherter and his 8Moves program for spiritual development at 8moves.com
1. McWherter, Glen. Devo 1.1 Walk In The Light. (May 2, 2025), 8Moves.com.
2. Mechthild of Magdeburg, The Flowing Light of the Godhead, trans. Frank Tobin (New York: Paulist Press, 1998), 40.
3. Rumi, The Essential Rumi, trans. Coleman Barks (San Francisco: HarperOne, 2004), 106.