Earth Day Reflection on Light

This is a part of the Earth Day Prayer Service that my fellow Campus Ministry interns and I planned and celebrate today. The excerpt is from a Maori creation myth and the reflection was written by me.

In the Maori creation myth we hear...

"Soon, and yet not soon, for the time was vast, the Sky and Earth began to yield. Their longing was strong to keep embracing each other forever but their children's longing for growth was stronger. Rangi and Papa began to surrender their embrace through Tane's strength.


By this separation of Rangi and Papa the world of light, of existence, came into being. All of the creatures that were born of their parents love, were free now to move and grow...


They celebrated this first day of light and felt the joy of breathing and moving and having room to stretch out and grow and to feel themselves.


And we too now celebrate this returning of the light."


In this creation myth from the Maori people of New Zealand, we see the freedom that comes from light. Before the light, the children on Rangi and Papa are cramped and stifled. They long to live in the light. They force their parents to separate, breaking apart the tight bond between earth and sky. They are now free. They can stretch and breathe and move. They celebrate the light.

Imagine being in a place that is completely dark. How do you feel? Do you feel like the children of Rangi and Papa? Do you feel frightened, alone, and subdued by the darkness? What happens when a light enters the darkness? Those feelings of seclusion and restraint dissipate. You feel free to bend, move, grow, and live.

Just as the Maori celebrate the return of the light at the Winter Solstice, we too take time today to celebrate the light. Just as a plant cannot grow in the darkness, we too cannot prosper without light. We celebrate the chance to live our lives in the light, not in the darkness. We celebrate the comfort of a candle, the joy of a bonfire, the warmth of a hearth. We bless and honor the gift of the Earth called light.