Shine the Light
The light within each of us
by Claire Law
Suitable for Whole School (Sec)
Aims
To consider the symbolism of light in artwork and our feelings and attitudes towards light.
Preparation and materials
- You will need the PowerPoint slides that accompany this assembly (Shine the Light) and the means to display them.
- Have available the following YouTube videos (you only need to use the audio) and the means to play them during the assembly:
- ‘Light in you’ by Matt Simons, available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XS-HdLYuj-A (4.19 minutes long)
- ‘This little light of mine’ performed by Odetta, available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cMaWsfLYQko (5.02 minutes long, but you should start it from 1.25 minutes)
Assembly
- Have the song ‘Light in you’ by Matt Simons playing and Slide 1 showing as the students enter.
Welcome the students to the assembly. - Explain that the song that was playing as the students entered the room contained the lyric, ‘There’s a light in you / In everything that you do’.
Point out that in today’s assembly, we are going to explore the idea that each of us has a light in us that we can allow to shine so that others can see it. - Explain that, at the risk of sounding totally cringy, you want to start by thinking about a slang phrase that many students use: ‘It’s lit!’
Show Slide 2.
The phrase has been made famous by US rapper, Travis Scott. It means that others can see that we are feeling alive and joyous, as if there is a fire or a light inside us that radiates warmth and light to others. - The concept is not new. From the fourteenth century, Renaissance artists were playing with light in their paintings. The composition would be largely in darkness, but someone depicted there would be painted in such a way that they appeared to be lit up, containing a light from within that illuminated others in the picture.
Show Slide 3.
This painting is by Michel Sittow, and is called The Nativity at Night. It is a classic example of Renaissance artwork from over 500 years ago. In it, the baby Jesus has been painted in such a way that he is the only source of light in the picture, and the light from him shines on the others in the image. Perhaps the artist based his painting on Jesus’ words that he is the ‘light of the world’. (John 8.12) - In many religions, there is the idea that we each contain a divine spark, or light, which we can choose to cultivate and share with others. Jesus speaks about this in the Gospels.
Show Slide 4.
In Luke’s Gospel, we read, ‘No one lights a lamp and puts it in a place where it will be hidden, or under a bowl. Instead, they put it on its stand, so that those who come in may see the light.’ - In the Hindu faith, a greeting used towards others is the Hindi word, ‘Namaste’. It can be translated as ‘the light in me honours the light in you’.
Show Slide 5.
At the start of November, Hindus, Jains, Sikhs and some Buddhists will celebrate the festival of light known as Diwali. - The idea of each of us having a light within us is expressed beautifully in a children’s gospel song called ‘This little light of mine’. The song is thought to have been composed in the 1930s and is still popular today. We may be familiar with it from the wedding of Meghan Markle and Prince Harry in May 2018 because they chose it as their final hymn.
- Show Slide 6.
Read out the lyrics on the slide.
During the 1960s, this simple hymn became a key way for the civil rights movement in the USA to express its desire for freedom and black equality. - Show Slide 7.
Peaceful protest marches saw thousands of people singing the song as a means of communicating that everyone has a divine spark, a light within them, and should be treated equally. They were singing for everyone to have the light within them recognized and honoured. - Tell the students that you are now going to play a version of ‘This little light of mine’ that was sung by Odetta, an American singer and civil and human rights activist who has been described as ‘the voice of the civil rights movement’.
Play the YouTube video (audio only) ‘This little light of mine’ performed by Odetta. Start it from 1.25 minutes.
Time for reflection
We’ve taken quite a journey in this assembly, moving from Renaissance artwork to twenty-first-century rap via 1960s America!
Let’s take a few moments to reflect on what we’ve heard in this assembly, especially the idea of a light within each of us.
Show Slide 4 again.
Remember Jesus’ words: ‘No one lights a lamp and puts it in a place where it will be hidden, or under a bowl. Instead, they put it on its stand, so that those who come in may see the light.’
Let’s take a moment to consider how we feel about the idea of having a light or spark within us. How comfortable do we feel in allowing others to see our light?
Pause to allow time for thought.
Ask the students, ‘Have you been aware of times when other people haven’t seen the light within you? How did that leave you feeling?’
Pause to allow time for thought.
Ask the students, ‘How easy do you find it to recognize and acknowledge the light in others? What helps you to remember that we are all created as equal?’
Pause to allow time for thought.
Prayer
Dear God,
It can feel difficult at times to sense our own spark of life and light.
It can also be really challenging to see the light in others.
Today, please help us to be more aware of the light that we each carry.
Equip us to share that light with others, and in so doing, show your light and your life to others.
Amen.
Song/music
‘Light in you’ by Matt Simons, available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XS-HdLYuj-A (4.19 minutes long)
‘This little light of mine’ performed by Odetta, available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cMaWsfLYQko (5.02 minutes long, but you should start it from 1.25 minutes)
