LIGHT THINKING AND THINKING LIGHTLY

The world exists by light. "The exchange of light maintains our universe from the level of atoms on up," says Huston Smith in his book, Why Religion Matters, (p. 140). He then adds, "Everything is created from light, and all the interactions that follow after those created things are in place proceed by way of light." (Ibid)

Light is the energy of the universe. And as we have seen, in the process of photosynthesis (photo--light, synthesis--to put together) light calls forth the materials of the plant, puts together the chlorophyll and carbon dioxide to produce all living plants which give off oxygen as their "exhaust." And all animal life, ourselves included, are maintained by those thousands of varieties of plants. Light produces plants, and we consume plants, and give off carbon dioxide, which photosynthesis uses again to produce living plants. We literally are children of light.

If that is true in the physical realm, it is also true in the intellectual realm. We rightly speak of "seeing the light" when we grasp a profound truth. If darkness is a metaphor for ignorance, light is a metaphor for knowledge. How the do we "come to the light" to avoid "thinking lightly?"

In the West, in the 16th and 17th centuries and following, the Enlightenment came to replace religion and revelation as the source of knowledge and "coming to the light." Knowledge was gained by observation, experimentation, and verification. Instead of relying on past "revelation" for enlightenment, people began relying on future exploration and experimentation for enlightenment. Therefore, God and religion and revelation became intellectually marginalized. Secularism (this-ageism) and scientism (knowledge by examination of the material world) came to predominate.

But not so fast, say many prominent thinkers. Albert Einstein said that "the way light is propagated through the universe mains one of nature's supreme mysteries." (The Universe and Dr. Einstein, Barnett, p. 9) But then he added that the most beautiful and profound emotion we can experience is the sensation of the mystical. He speaks of the importance of this true religiousness. He says the "cosmic religious experience is the strongest and noblest mainspring of scientific research." (Ibid p. 105) Einstein adds: "there is no mystery of the physical world which does not point to a mystery beyond itself." (Ibid. p. 113) He suggests the serious workers are profoundly religious people.

Noble prize-winning physicist, Max Planck agrees. He maintains that the greatest thinkers have been deeply religious. In fact, he suggests that science demands a believing spirit. Another Noble prizewinning physicist, Louis de Broglie, agrees. He feels all genuine science is motivated by spiritual ideals. And British physicist, Sir James Jeans, suggests the universe is a creation of Divine thought with God working outside the universe as an artist outside his canvas. Thus, in his thinking, the universe "begins to look more like a great thought than like a great machine." (Quantum Questions, Wilber, ed. p. 144)

And that brings us back to light which is a universal metaphor for God. Enlightenment comes not just from scientific, objective knowledge centered on the material world. It also comes from the believer seeking the light of God. Enlightenment is not just an intellectual act, but a religious one. Light produces the physical universe and the intellectual universe. And that suggests "light thinking" not just "thinking lightly."

So, the seeker after knowledge and truth will maintain the mystical, religious dimension, to be open to the light as Einstein suggests. Or as Emily Dickinson put it:

The Soul should

always stand ajar,

ready to welcome the

ecstatic experience.

Theologian Paul Tillich said we should be open to ecstatic (ek-out of, stasis-to stand) reason to receive new enlightenment not filtered through our preconceived paradigms and presuppositions.

The Bible repeatedly invites us to come to the light of God to be enlightened which is a religious, mystical act important for "light thinking" and not just "thinking lightly!" But as British author and theologian, G. K. Chesterton, said, "God is like the sun, you cannot look at it, but without it, you cannot look at anything else." Or as Emily Dickinson said:

The truth must dazzle gradually,

Or every man be blind.

So, we seek to do "light thinking" at least gradually!