Sunday Awe: Living the Light
How often do I declare that God’s light dwells within me, yet fail to embody it, living as if that light has no impact on my words, choices, or relationships? It’s easy to speak of God’s light, but far more challenging to live in its radiance—especially when we are hurried, distracted, or ensnared by fear or self-protection. Yet, light, by its very nature, reveals; it cannot help but shine. The invitation, then, is to allow the light we carry to shape how we navigate the world.
To “live the light” is to take what we affirm in our hearts and translate it into how we show up in the world. Julian of Norwich wisely stated, “The light of God’s love illuminates the soul, drawing it to His presence.” If we stop at being drawn inward without shining outward, we miss the point.
Jesus said, “You are the light of the world… let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven” (Matthew 5:14–16). The light is not merely something within us; it is something we radiate when we live from the divine presence within. This means embodying qualities such as gentleness, patience, honesty, and love in our interactions with others.
How can we better embody the light? I think this is where the acronym AWE is helpful.
Awareness. Each day, before the noise begins, pause, breathe, and become aware of the light, the presence of God within you. See it. Feel it.
Wonder. Contemplate what it means to be light, this day, in this moment, with the tasks at hand. Ask, “How can I be light?”
Engage. Decide to act rather than merely react. Look for opportunities to shine.
Return to AWE throughout the day. We all stray, we all forget. When you do, simply return to AWE.
At the end of the day, ask yourself, “Where did I reflect the light? Where did I hide it?” Not as an opportunity to judge yourself, but a chance to show up a little brighter tomorrow.
Living the light doesn’t require perfection; it requires presence—allowing the Spirit to illuminate your thoughts and shape your actions. As Rumi beautifully said, “Scatter your light freely; it costs nothing, yet it transforms everything.”
Monday Awe: Light as a Reflection of God
- Julian of Norwich: “The light of God’s love illuminates the soul, drawing it to His presence.” (Revelations of Divine Love)
- Thomas Aquinas: “To embody light is to share in God’s wisdom and love.” (Summa Theologica)
- The Upanishads 1.3.28: “Lead me from darkness to light, from ignorance to knowledge, from death to immortality.”
- John 8:12: “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.’” (NIV)
AWE
Aware. Which quote speaks to you?
Wonder. Contemplate what this means to you.
Enjoy/Engage/Experience. What is your next step?
Tuesday Awe: Living the Light of Compassion
- St. Francis of Assisi: “It is in giving that we receive.” (Attributed to St. Francis)
- Henri Nouwen: “When we live in compassion, we embody the light of Christ in the world.” (Life of the Beloved)
- Tagore: “Faith is the bird that feels the light when the dawn is still dark.” (Stray Birds)
- Bhagavad Gita 5:16: “When the light of wisdom shines, it dispels ignorance like the sun removing darkness.”
- Matthew 5:14-16: “You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden.” (NIV)
AWE
Aware. Which quote speaks to you?
Wonder. Contemplate what this means to you.
Enjoy/Engage/Experience. What is your next step?
Wednesday Awe: The Light Within
- Meister Eckhart: “The light within us is God’s presence, and it calls us to radiate His glory.” (Sermons and Treatises)
- Simone Weil: “The light of God within us grows when we seek Him in truth and humility.” (Gravity and Grace)
- Plotinus (New Source): “The soul is illuminated by the One, whose light is eternal and unchanging.” (The Enneads)
- Rumi: “The lamps are different, but the Light is the same.” (The Essential Rumi)
- The Dhammapada 146: “The wise keep their lamp burning within, lighting the way to enlightenment.”
- 2 Corinthians 4:6: “For God, who said, ‘Let light shine out of darkness,’ made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of God’s glory.” (NIV)
AWE
Aware. Which quote speaks to you?
Wonder. Contemplate what this means to you.
Enjoy/Engage/Experience. What is your next step?
Thursday Awe: Spreading Light to Others
- St. Teresa of Ávila: “Christ has no body now but yours; no hands, no feet on earth but yours.” (Attributed to St. Teresa)
- Rumi: “Be the light that others can follow, not by what you say but by how you live.” (The Essential Rumi)
- Rumi: “Be a lamp, a lifeboat, or a ladder. Help someone’s soul heal. Walk out of your house like a shepherd.” (The Essential Rumi)
- John Donne: “No man is an island.” (Devotions upon Emergent Occasions)
- Philippians 2:15: “Then you will shine among them like stars in the sky as you hold firmly to the word of life.” (NIV)
AWE
Aware. Which quote speaks to you?
Wonder. Contemplate what this means to you.
Enjoy/Engage/Experience. What is your next step?
Friday Awe: Walking in the Light
- Thomas Merton: “To walk in the light is to live in alignment with God’s truth and love.” (Thoughts in Solitude)
- Julian of Norwich: “God is our light and our guide, leading us on the path of love.” (Revelations of Divine Love)
- Seneca (New Source): “Wherever there is a human being, there is an opportunity for kindness.” (Letters to Lucilius)
- 1 John 1:7: “But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another.” (NIV)
AWE
Aware. Which quote speaks to you?
Wonder. Contemplate what this means to you.
Enjoy/Engage/Experience. What is your next step?
Saturday Awe: Living the Light: Embodying Divine Qualities in Daily Life
- Thomas Aquinas: “To embody light is to share in God’s wisdom and love.” (Summa Theologica)
- Henri Nouwen: “When we live in compassion, we embody the light of Christ in the world.” (Life of the Beloved)
- John Donne: “No man is an island.” (Devotions upon Emergent Occasions)
- Thomas Merton: “To walk in the light is to live in alignment with God’s truth and love.” (Thoughts in Solitude)
- 2 Corinthians 4:6: “For God, who said, ‘Let light shine out of darkness,’ made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of God’s glory.” (NIV)
AWE
Aware. Which quote speaks to you?
Wonder. Contemplate what this means to you.
Enjoy/Engage/Experience. What is your next step?