From the Rector…
In Medieval England, the king taxed light. Tax collectors went from village to village inspecting people’s homes and charging tax according to how many windows were in the house. Maybe you’ve noticed the lack of windows or how small they are if you’ve ever toured the English countryside—now you know the reason.
I love light. Light is one of the factors I consider when buying a home. I made the mistake early on in my marriage of agreeing to a house with limited light depending on the time of day. At first, I soldiered through moving to various parts of the house depending on morning or afternoon light. I never used the formal dining room or living room because of their lack of light. Even the master bedroom was depressing to me as it received limited morning light. When we purchased our second home together, I corrected that mistake. The house had more windows than walls it seemed, and light streamed in from every corner and angle no matter what time of day. Our current house gets some light, and every morning, I open every shade so that as much natural light as possible can stream in, but it isn’t as much as I would like.
Light is a powerful indicator of mood. It also stimulates good brain health. Marc Milstein in the Age Proof Brain says that one of the most important and easiest things you can do to keep your brain healthy and protect against dementia-related illnesses, is to take a ten-minute walk as soon as you (and the sun) wake up in the morning. He believes that exposing the brain to sunlight for ten minutes in the morning will decrease the likelihood of dementia in the future.
More than emotional health and brain health, light is a powerful agent and metaphor for spirituality. John 1:5 tells us the “light shines in the darkness and the darkness will not overcome it.” In the beginning, God creates by saying “Let there be light.” Scripture also tells us that Jesus is the light of the world; not to cover our light with a bushel; that those who live in darkness have seen a great light.
Light is comforting and powerful in driving away our fears and rekindling our hopes. It is a source of strength and renewal for us as individuals and as a community. It kindles and renews our faith. C. S. Lewis said, “I believe in Christ, like I believe in the sun. Not only because I can see it, but by it I can see everything else.” We know Christ as the light, and we work to shine that light to all the world.
As the third and final phase of our Capital Campaign, The Way, the Truth, and the Life, moves toward completion we have introduced light into what was once a dark and cave-like Joshua House (JH). The hope is that as the building begins to brighten, it is renewed for new ministry and new hope in our church and our neighborhood. We want to be an inviting and welcoming presence to all people in the Garden District (and beyond).
By opening up the back of JH, drenching her with light, and shining it forth into the world we make a claim on that space and its purpose. We begin to turn our face outward toward our community—reaching out even as we invite in—working toward greater relationship with those who live near us. We cannot afford to ignore our neighbors, nor can we insulate ourselves from them. Instead, we must find ways of connection and collaboration and I believe Joshua House to be an important part of that effort.
We are on track for completion of the building renovations in mid-August. After that we will begin to work on our Labyrinth Garden. We won’t get to do everything we originally desired, but we will get to make a beautiful and spiritual space for reflection and mission and, hopefully, in the process discover the transformative work of the Spirit. Thank you for all you have done, contributing to the campaign through prayer and/or financial support. I ask that you continue both as we work to partner with God and one another in the building up of God’s kingdom.