This evening as we are reminded about those who are no longer with us, many take this as an opportunity to celebrate, surrounded by fear and mystery.
As part of my local church, I’ll be helping to run ‘Light parties’, showing that even though we all have fears in our lives, Jesus is victorious. Even in the darkest of times, we can shine as lights and look to him who is our saviour who leads the way.
In Nelson Mandela’s freedom speech, he quoted this by Marianne Williamson:
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.We ask ourselves, who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented and fabulous?
Actually, who are you not to be?
You are a child of God.
Your playing small does not serve the world.
There’s nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won’t feel insecure around you.We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us.
It’s not just in some of us; it’s in everyone.And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same.
As we are liberated from our own fear,
Our presence automatically liberates others. — Marianne Williamson