There really may be a million of them, but who is counting. There a fewer orangie ones than white ones, Lot of red ones twirling, a few yellow and green. When you look at the world from a distance, they are a pretty big muddle. But it only takes a moment to figure out what most of them are. Some are big and bright, lighting up the darkest spots from high above. Parking lots, roads and secure areas. Smaller ones seem to be more twinkly like backyard fireflies in the summer night. They seem more distant but friendly, mired in the night air. You can tell which ones are homes, they to be a bit more uniform and clustered together. And the traffic lights change from red to green, commanding no one.
Without the light we would be dark and dim. Cast into shadows, wondering where we are going and not being able to see how to get there. Total darkness is never silent as we hear every tweet and twitch of the world and our thoughts. Even though the same noises are present every day, in darkness they become lurking monsters. We look for lights to calm our fears.
Although each does the same thing, they help us to see different. The big bright ones, perhaps our Dharma, illuminate large areas of our mind. But there are still dark, insecure spots in our mind that they can't reach. The twinkles that remain are those we haven't met yet, awaiting their turn to help guide our way. But still, their light is pretty but unsteady. There remain many nooks and crannies of insecure and self-doubt. For them, we need to look for more personal sources of light, that of hearth and home. There are no demanding stop and go lights. The soft cluster of glow always is always the most welcome sight after a long day, with each of our loved ones helping to fill the dark with light.
The light of the Son helps to cure the world's darkness. But we need to be able to let all the light in if we are going to be fulfilled. Lighting each nook and cranny helps us to become fulfilled with our own special light. Whether it be orange, red, green or glow, we all can provide light for others as we twinkle in their night.