Let There Be Light

Think back to the happiest, most joyful moments of your life. You may recall the weather—rain drenching your hair or sunlight warming your back. Your sensory memory may kick in reminding you of the delicious meal you were eating or a fragrant scent. But can you remember how you felt? The love that made your heart feel as if it would burst out of your chest, the happiness that wrapped you like a warm blanket, the calming feeling of safety and trust—what you really felt was the Light of the Creator. Light is what we feel in the most joyful moments of our lives; it is love, happiness, trust, and beauty.

The book of Genesis opens with the chapter, Beresheet, which tells the story of creation. On the first day, God said, “Let there be light.” Yet the bearers of light—the sun, the moon, and the stars—were not made until the fourth day. Kabbalists believe that the Light created on the first day of creation was not light as we know it; it was consciousness.

According to the Zohar, this Light was everywhere. A vessel was needed to hold this Light—to receive it and share it, and so God “hid” the Light within nature and within us. Our purpose in this lifetime is to reveal Light. As Karen Berg explains, “Our spiritual work is to reveal all of the Light that was originally placed in our Vessel and then to become a beacon of Light for others.” In every lifetime it is our job to reveal as much Light as possible, to share it with others, and to help them reveal Light, as well.

This is not always an easy task.

How do we meet our life’s purpose? How do we go about revealing all this hidden Light? How do we expand our collective consciousness?

The answer is at once simple and challenging: we reveal Light by transforming our Desire to Receive for Ourselves to a Desire to Receive for Others. To sum it up, we must share with a kind heart.

At first, one might think all we have to do is perform “good deeds.” So off we go, like children who’ve been promised a reward for good behavior, saying please and thank you, sharing our “toys,” and being nice to everyone we meet. Of course, we should never underestimate the power of a kind word or good manners. However, revealing Light through sharing requires a distinct shift in the way we see our lives and our relationships to the people around us; it requires consciousness.

Our work towards revealing Light is continuous. We shift our awareness and grow, only to realize that there is more work to do. Even the most conscious among us continuously strive towards deeper spiritual work in every moment. What many people overlook is the fact that each shift only brings you closer to your true self. In his book The Secret, Michael Berg states, “Transforming who you are doesn’t mean becoming something outside your nature. It means rediscovering your true nature, who you really are. The spark of the Creator is already within you. You just need to fan that flame through positive actions of sharing.”

Remember the feeling of love and safety you experienced in the most joyous moments of your life, the feeling of the Light? Imagine if every person you interacted with was left feeling a bit of this. How much greater would the Light in the world be if we not only shared our own Light, but helped others to tap into the Light they hold within themselves, thus revealing more?

While Light can be revealed in predictable ways, like reading sacred texts, praying, or surrounding oneself by nature, it can also be hidden in the most unlikely and surprising situations. If you meet each challenge with a clear intention to reveal Light, no opportunity will ever be missed.

“The greater the Light and blessing, the more hidden it must be.” – Michael Berg

The Light that was revealed on the first day of creation contained love, happiness, trust, and beauty. It was hidden away so that we could transform in the process of finding it. “When we rediscover it,” says Michael Berg, “we express the spark of godliness in our soul, and in that one moment, we achieve the purpose of life.” So as you continue on your way, let there be Light.