The Luminous Human
You shine with all manner of light
A Community of Voices
I am a radiant being
Of light and healing
I feel peace, I am safe
I heal from a whole place
-Beautiful Chorus, A Hymn of Healing
I am light, I am light.
I am light, I am light.
-India.Arie, I Am Light
Black people are human. Black people, too, are luminous matter. I don’t mean this metaphorically; we are literally luminous. We give off infrared light due to our body heat, just like white people.
-Dr. Chanda Prescod-Weinstein, The Disordered Cosmos
Essentially, we are beings of energy and light in a universe that emits both.
-Dr. Barbara A. Holmes, Race and the Cosmos 2nd Ed.
Be
In the beginning, God created everything: the heavens above and the earth below. Here’s what happened: At first the earth lacked shape and was totally empty, and a dark fog draped over the deep while God’s spirit-wind hovered over the surface of the empty waters. Then there was the voice of God.
God: Let there be light.
Genesis Chapter 1, verses 1-3a, The Voice Translation, The Bible
If you have been in any church context for any amount of time, you've probably heard this creation story. It is in line with other creation stories that begin with the primordial darkness and something or someone breaking forth from it.
In this version, what broke forth was light at the words of God the Creator. Let's define light:
something that makes vision possible1
natural agent that stimulates sight and makes things visible2
electromagnetic radiation humans can see3
I’m curious about the perspective of the Creator in this birthing. What could let there be light mean to Them? When Creator dropped desires and innovative energy into words, what was the expectation of what was being birthed?
As a non-seminarian Biblical lay scholar, may I offer an interpretation?
God: Let there be an electromagnetic spectrum.
What exactly is an electromagnetic spectrum?
range of frequencies (spectrum) of electromagnetic radiation (light) and their respective wavelengths and photon energies4
Imagine all manner of electromagnetic radiation bursting forth! From gamma rays to radio waves, it's as if at God's word there was an explosion of varying energies and visibilities.
Let there be...
-radio radiation
-infrared radiation
-visible radiation
-ultraviolet radiation
-x-ray radiation
-gamma radiation
Let there be all manner of seeing!
Let there be various sight stimulations!
Let there be rays of all different frequencies across the universe and on the Earth!
Let there be light.
In the darkness, God called the entire spectrum of light into being. Notably, much of what God names “light” appears as darkness to us. From our context as naked-eyed humans, infrared light is darkness, but God says, "No that's light." To us, x-rays are darkness, and Creator said, "No, no that is light!"
What we perceive as darkness has a relationship - always - to light and luminosity. Inextricably, light is intertwined with darkness.
The heat your body gives off that signals your aliveness can be seen in infrared waves.
Let there be light.
When you get your picture taken with x-rays, we can see typically hidden parts of your body.
Let there be light.
In small amounts, ultraviolet waves aid our bodies in functioning wholly.
Let there be light.
Let there be darkness that yet contains light.
Yes, let there be light - in full spectra, in every wavelength, where even the dark can be seen.
Ritual Of Connectedness
The role of the artists is essential to our wholeness. Find artistry that reminds you of your luminosity. It could be music, artwork, writings, objects or wearables, or something else entirely. Create a rhythm - once a day or once a week - of intentionally engaging these reminders of luminosity. Let this reminder be about not just your brightness but also the light of others.
By The Light of Moon
I went looking for a picture of something that can be seen with different wavelengths of the light spectrum. Funnily enough, the set of photos I found were of the moon. This object who, to us, is in a constant dance with visible light and perceived dark seems a perfect muse. Never at odds and always in rhythm, the luminosity and darkness in the moon cycle wanes and waxes poetic month in and month out, reminding us of the never-ending relationship between visible light and perceived darkness.
All in Light
For Paige
Light is a wave. There are different lengths of waves, from the very short gamma and cosmic rays to the elongated radio and broadcast band. Human eyes are able to see a small fraction of all waves called, categorically by us, visible light. Unaided, we only see about .0035% of what is luminous in the cosmos.5
We name things in reference to our experience as humans. Dark matter and dark energy are only called "dark" because of the way it doesn't interact with us or other matter we are familiar with, including in regards to luminosity.6
You can be seen with x-ray waves or in infrared rays, but not unassisted. There are expressions of you that can only be seen in certain light, at certain wavelengths. In fact, only .0035% of your radiance can be seen by the naked eye. Well, the naked human eye.
Certain insects can see in ultraviolet light waves. Snakes can see in infrared waves. When a snake or spider sees you, they are not seeing how you bodily reflect and absorb light in the form of colors from the rainbow. A snake can see your heat signature, which is always there but not visible to us.
Even if there are wavelengths of luminosity present, if they aren’t in the length of visible light, it is darkness to us.
It is true, Eternal One, that You know everything and everyone.
You have surrounded me on every side, behind me and before me,
and You have placed Your hand gently on my shoulder.
It is the most amazing feeling to know how deeply You know me, inside and out;
the realization of it is so great that I cannot comprehend it.
Can I go anywhere apart from Your Spirit?
Is there anywhere I can go to escape Your watchful presence?
Even if I am afraid and think to myself, “There is no doubt that the darkness will swallow me, the light around me will soon be turned to night,”
You can see in the dark, for it is not dark to Your eyes.
For You the night is just as bright as the day.
Darkness and light are the same to Your eyes.
Psalm Chapter 139 verses 4b-7, 11-12, The Voice Translation, The Bible
The writer of Psalm 139 says that in the midst of fear, he seeks the dark. He desires to be hidden, almost like this fear is laced with shame. Though the writer could hide from other humans and animals, the "night is just as bright as the day" to The Eternal.
"You can see in the dark, for it is not dark to your eyes."
This Eternal One is the being who, to the psalmist, has been an active and present Creator, seeing the full spectrum of light with Their naked eye. The Divine sees the full spectrum of your luminosity - even when you attempt to hide in what you believe is darkness. No, nothing is hidden and when The Eternal sees you, there is an insistence on calling you Beloved.
Years ago when I was first reading this psalm (and reading it A LOT trying to soothe my soul), it wasn't very comforting. A God who can see everything and know my thoughts who I also cannot hide from? No thanks. When God is a cosmic Santa Claus with a punitive, auto-updating naughty list, then you pray to the light spectrum that you can hide in the valley of a deep wavelength.
But listen…if Creator thought you up and excitedly gave you breath and light, Love and life…
if delight is the very fiber of what is tethering The Eternal to you…
then you get to be all wonder and gratitude at the thought that God always sees you.
Being seen - truly seen - is only comforting when The Eternal One who sees you fully illuminated still calls you Beloved in the dark.
At every wavelength of the soul and frequency of the heart, God sees you with clarity. Different aspects of you become visible when you are seen across the delight spectrum.
As a verb, delight is “to give great pleasure, satisfaction, or enjoyment to; please highly”.7
In The Eternal’s vision, the whole spectrum is one of delight. Simply seeing you - at any wavelength - gives “great pleasure”.
Take note Beloved: Not everyone has this vision to see you in your full luminosity. Some deny your radiance even when you are shining right in front of them.
But those who have eyes to see the wavelengths on the delight spectrum, they see you with brilliance, glowing from places that, to the naked eye, read as non-luminous.
May you have eyes that see your luminosity and still name yourself Beloved and Delighted In. May you have eyes to see the divine luminosity of others and, as siblings, name them Beloved also. And may we remind one another when we forget our light, deny our light, or try to hide in the shadows that even the darkness shines as light.
What Has My Attention
India.Arie has been in rotation for me, so here is the lyric video for I Am Light
Also heavy in my rotation is Beautiful Chorus. They did a song with India.Arie, and you can also listen to them sing as an affirmation the lyrics I quoted above.
Read more about Mikael Owunna’s artistic process and use of ultraviolet light.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electromagnetic_spectrum
Wondering why it's called "dark" matter and not "invisible" matter? Dr. Chanda Prescot Weinstein gives her perspective in her book The Disordered Cosmos.
I LOVE THIS SO MUCH. I tried to pick a favorite part and couldn't. I have 10 favorites. So so so good.