Thought for the week: Gerard Guiton comes to Light
‘The Light is always in the present; always now, always new and old.’
Some people imagine Quakerism as flickering to an end, like an old candle. Numbers are dropping and our membership is aging. Meetings are closing while others are riven by disputes. So, should we face ‘reality’ and let our Society die? Or try, somehow, to really renew it? If we opt for renewal then something will have to give.
Where is the true and constant Light in all this? In 1695 William Penn offered a startlingly-modern statement: ‘[T]his word consciousness supposes a knowledge, together with something else that gives us that knowledge… And what is that but that divine light which gives light to the candle? For a candle cannot light itself.’
I say ‘startlingly modern’ because scientists, theologians and philosophers are now discovering common ground in ‘consciousness’, which some are content to conflate, like Penn, with Light. Others also talk of ‘soul’ and Light where ‘soul’ means consciousness. Others believe Light, soul and consciousness are one and the same – my own position.
At some point, all organisations wobble. Sometimes they wobble too much and die, but some can be renewed. Outside assistance may be needed; they can also draw on internal resources. We can see signs of Light-wisdom among Friends. It is old but also new, and well tested.
The idea of ‘consciousness’ was around in the 1690s –Penn’s friend, John Locke, was keen on the subject. But it was Penn who saw consciousness as equalling the Inward Light. Another name the early Friends gave to this Light was the ‘Kingdom of God’. Ninety per cent of their tracts mention it at least once. But they had an interesting and progressive take on it. Jesus’ Way, or Inward Light, or Divine Consciousness, was pivotal to their daily life. Its manifestation in the world was their ‘Lamb’s War’.
The Light as Divine Consciousness is, of course, an ancient idea – the Sanskrit Rig Veda sang its praises 3,500 years ago! – but it is forever fresh. Indeed, it may be the internal help of which I speak. It is old and new because in Consciousness-Light there’s no time. The Light is always in the present, always now, always new and old. And it resides in all of us and everything else. Being old and young means we can give new Light to Quakerism – the candle cannot light itself, remember: it needs us.
So what kind of Light can we bring? The Way is Light is Consciousness. Study this oneness and you’ll be amazed. Follow it through and your Light will be bright indeed; its peace, justice and compassion will illuminate our Society and the world at large. ‘Your’ will be transformed to ‘our’. It’ll be Fox’s 1652 Pendle Hill experience now.
‘Really?’, I hear you ask. Yes! A newly- and greatly-gathered Quakerism will have ‘old’ and ‘new’ Light, plus a common purpose and language (of Consciousness) that speaks to all times and places. It will always be adaptive and attractive to new generations. And it will grow.
Of course, we’ll have to work together to make it happen…
You need to login to read subscriber-only content and/or comment on articles.