Inner light
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- For the Star Trek: The Next Generation episode, see The Inner Light.
The Inner Light, or "the Light within" is a concept central to Quaker theology. It refers to the Quaker belief that God speaks directly to everyone, and that in order to hear it one must learn to listen for the voice of God (generally through silent meditation), and give God a chance to speak through you.
Some Quakers believe that the Inner Light means that the human soul is "that of God in everyone," instead of God being strictly external from a person.
It is important to note that this divine guidance (or "promptings" or "leadings of the Spirit") is considered to be distinct both from impulses originating from oneself and general moral guidelines. Quakers are generally suspicious of hard and fast rules, as evidenced by the postscript that a Quaker meeting attached to a list of "Advices" published in 1656:
- Dearly beloved Friends, these things we do not lay upon you as a rule or form to walk by, but that all, with the measure of light which is pure and holy, may be guided: and so in the light walking and abiding, these may be fulfilled in the Spirit, not from the letter, for the letter killeth, but the Spirit giveth life.[1] (http://www.nyym.org/quakerism/fnp/6.shtml)
To paraphrase, human laws are fallible, and ultimately we must rely on that of God within us in order to conduct our way through the grey areas of life; right action cannot be legislated. This does not mean that individuals must make their own decisions in isolation, however: Quakers often gather together to address sticky questions in a clearness committee or meeting for discernment.
Compare and contrast the Inner Light with the similar concept of an Inward Light, which appears in older Quaker writings but seems to have fallen out of use. This evokes an image of people being illuminated by the light of God or Christ, rather than having a light source inside them.
External Links
- Meetings for Clearness in Britain Yearly Meeting (http://www.quaker.org.uk/qfp/chap12/12.20.html#12.22)
- Committees for Clearness in Philadelphia Yearly Meeting, page 29 (pdf page 14) (http://www.pym.org/publish/fnp/fnp02-pages_16_to_33.pdf)