"There is, however, in the Galilean origin of Christianity yet another suggestion...It dwells upon the tender elements in the world, which slowly and in quietness operate by love; and it finds purpose in the present immediacy of a kingdom not of this world.

​Love neither rules, nor is it unmoved; also it is a little oblivious as to morals. It does not look to the future; for it finds its own reward in the immediate present."

Alfred North Whitehead
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​"God is Light and in him there is no darkness at all."

1 John 1:5

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​Mom, I'm going to the department store to buy some festoon lights for my room. .

​Alex, age 18

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The sunlight shining through my window on a spring day. That's my chapel.

 James, age 85

​God as Ambient Light and Inner Light

Imagine that there is a cosmic Light at the heart of the universe, all-loving but not all-powerful, whose spirit operates in the world slowly and quietly by love. This Light can be felt in many ways: as an animating energy, a guiding presence, an eternal companion, a spirit of creative transformation, a reservoir of fresh possibilities; a source of hope.

One way that we experience that animating energy of the Light is through (1) ambient light that is soothing and calming, or festive and energizing, or both. Sunlight through a window, for example, or festoon lights decorating a room or hallway. Here we feel the living presence of God as an atmosphere: something that surrounds us and sets a tone for our feelings and interactions.

The physical light, whether natural or human-created (which is also natural) is a way that we experience the divine Light. We experience the Light through the light. The Light is not all-powerful. It cannot make us be good people or alter the circumstances. But it can warm our hearts in a soft way and lift our spirits. The physical light is its medium.

We also experience the animating energy of God as (2) inner light, a small candle in the heart, an inwardly felt lure, a calling presence, that urges us to bring about goodness and beauty in the world. This inner light is what process theologians call "the lure of God" within the heart. It is a lure to love and care and build healthy communities and also a lure to add novel beauty to the world.

The addition of novel beauty to the world is at the heart of design, of making things that are new.  When we decorating a space with festoon lights, we are adding novelty and, for that matter, creating a space where some portion of the divine Light can be experienced. It is, in its own was, sacred design.

​To be sure, not all design is nourishing and life-giving. We can design windowless torture chambers with the light of a single bulb on the ceiling and nuclear bombs with their fiery blazes. Design can violate the very spirit of health and love. But when design has its aim of creating a space where light, natural or human-created, be atmospheric in a nurturing way, it is in fact sacred design, thus named or not.

One key to healthy living is to claim our inner designer, as best we can, and add light to the world in whatever ways we can.

Go to your local department store and buy those lights, String them up in your room or hallway or backyard. Create an environment that builds comfort and community, a love of life and a love a sense of joy.  Make yourself a little chapel.  The light does not have to be bright to be effective. Use solar lighting if possible.

Jay McDaniel, 6/23/2022

Festooning
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noun

• a chain or garland of flowers, leaves, ribbons, or lights hung in a curve as a decoration.

​verb

• adorn (a place) with ribbons, garlands, lights or other decorations

Addendum: Festooning Scripture
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Festooning is a way to take a psalm, poem, or prayer in Scripture and creatively express how that passage is speaking to you right now. To festoon means to decorate or to adorn, and it is more than just paraphrasing. Festooning entails prayerfully adding to a passage — like you would add ornaments to a Christmas tree or icing to a cake — in order to engage how God might be speaking to you in fresh ways through Scripture.

First, read or listen to the whole passage once or twice all the way through, praying for the Spirit to illuminate the passage and to show you how the passage connects to you in this moment. Then go verse by verse, phrase by phrase, or sentence by sentence and take as much time as you need to express the idea of that phrase in your own words, using language that is relevant to you, your life, and your faith. At the end, you will have your very own personal psalm or prayer that reflects your relationship with God in this moment or season of your spiritual journey.

- Lipscomb University: https://www.lipscomb-vsf.com/stories-blog/spiritual-practice-praying-scripture-festoon-scripture​

Addendum: Festooning Your Prayers
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C.S. Lewis wrote of a practice that he thought was his original idea: taking a familiar prayer, such as the Lord's Prayer, and embellishing it with one's own intensions until this elaboration becomes an act of prayer itself. He even gave it a name: "festooning." If you were to festoon the line "forgive us our sins," you might ramble on to say, "like on Monday when I became angry at that bus driver, and I didn't keep my word to my daughter." As you festoon, let these ideas about God shape the attitude you carry into the prayer.
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— Patricia D. Brown in Paths to Prayer