"It is written from the desert to the mountains they shall lead us. By the hand and by the heart they will comfort you and me. With their innocence and trusting they will teach us to be free..."

Margaret stared off into the unfocused distance and tried to understand what had just been said. For the first time in her life she had received a clear understanding of what her purpose, her mission was to be. There was no strike of lightening, no clap of thunder, just the unmistakable voice of God as He spoke to her heart. Tears of joy began to flow.

It had haunted her for the better part of her life, the little voice inside her head. She had heard it during moments when she was still enough to listen and honest enough to believe the words. Was she one of the chosen? One of the children born into the world to lead others—by the hand and by the heart—back to the place where they had come from?

Spiritual matters had always been on the forefront of her mind. Even as a little girl growing up on the back streets of Chicago, she had felt different somehow from all the other kids. Not alienated really, but definitely more aware of a higher being, a greater power. Her father had always called her "Margie the Saint," because of how she would always choose the path of love and kindness. Even the life of a small insect would be spared from the wrath of her fathers crushing shoe if Margie was around to intervene.

It had been a long journey this spirit trail, at times, difficult to navigate and often unfamiliar and unmapped. But throughout the past forty years, she just kept on believing that this day would come. That the light that she was so aware of, would one day illuminate the world—even if it was her own small world, her own little corner of the planet.

She would work on her own doorstep first, she always thought. Start small and let God do the rest. If what she offered was needed on a larger scale, the world might beat a pathway to her doorstep. But that would be for God to decide. She would just keep doing her part. And there was plenty to be done.

For the past five years Margaret had written a column for the Chicago Tribune; a weekly piece on spirituality in the workplace. She had interviewed hundreds—if not thousands—of people who had stood up to be counted when their livelihood and their own careers were at stake. People who chose the road of heart VS the road of convenience. People with courage and strength. People who had made a difference in the lives of others. She named these enlightened souls and her column "Children Of The Light."

What began to amaze her, as time went on, was not so much that these types of people existed in every office throughout Chicago, but rather how they always seemed to show up in her life at just the right time and in just the right way. At first, she thought of it as mere coincidence, but the more it began to happen the more she began to believe that God was in fact pulling the strings. The heavens were responding and she was merely a passenger going along for the ride. Her fingers did the writing but it was quite clear that the words were not her own.

Then there were the God-like similarities between each of the people she interviewed. Not in a physical sense, but rather in the way they spoke, and smiled, and calmly but assuredly expressed their truth in a way that was non-threatening, open and honest. There was a glow about them as if they were being powered by an energy source unavailable to mortal man. They were just plain different and the differences were striking.

The thing that she always noticed first was the unconditional love and acceptance that they seemed to bestow upon everyone in their lives. There was never any jealousy, or unkind words. Never any haughtiness or pride. They just loved others the way they loved themselves. Giving the benefit of the doubt. Always rolling up their sleeves to help out when someone needed a kind and gentle hand.

While these people were seemingly powerful within their own circle of influence, their power was never based on anything they took away from another human being. Quite the opposite, really, their power seemed to be completely a bi-product of the power they freely gave away to others. So comfortable with themselves and their place in life, they were able to get underneath the wings of others and lift them up. By giving freely of themselves, they were rewarded with an abundance of love that flowed back into their lives in various forms. It was truly an amazing thing to witness.

She had exposed the presence of these so called "Children Of The Light" and fully understood that within the fabric of America and throughout the world, these individuals were quietly and without fanfare, going about the business of improving lives. Rather than complain about the darkness, each lit a single candle and allowed their light to provide direction and support to the vast majority of fellow human beings who appear all but blind to the wonder of God and His plan for their lives.

She too was one of them, and she knew it. A light worker. A messenger. A child of God. Her mission was just now becoming clear. But a mission it was and a mission it would be...

She had seen enough false prophets to last a lifetime. They would phone her almost daily demanding that she interview them for her column. They were easy to spot, these self-righteous shysters. Boastful and arrogant, they would egotistically point to themselves and announce, "Come. I want you to see the wonderful things that I am doing." They looked good on the surface. But within their souls, in the places others could not see, they were living a lie. Their actions never lined up with their words. They were all talk and no walk.

But the so-called Children Of The Light were the real deal. There was a ring of truth in the way they lived their lives. There was nothing phony-no disconnect between their words and their actions. In fact, their actions were what set them apart from other well meaning and well intentioned souls who said all the right words but then never did anything.

Those who actually walked in the light lived their truth not with words but with actions, not with discussion but with demonstration. They knew that what they did was far more important than what they said. Rather than wasting time with clever conversation and verbal jousting, they simply rolled up their sleeves and went to work "sweeping the house of another." They knew their actions would say enough.

They would often describe themselves as "spiritual beings having an earthly experience" rather than the other way around. While some were Christians in the traditional sense, others were not. Many were Hindu or Taoist, while others were Buddhists, Jews, Islamic or New Age. Some had even developed their own truth based on their personal experiences with God and their individual walk along the spirit trail. Yet, there was a common thread that allowed them to accept the beliefs of others and work side by side in an environment of mutual trust and respect.

The word that best described it was namaste—I will honor the place in you where we are all one. It was this oneness that was so apparent, so noticeable. Each enlightened soul that she had interviewed had abandoned the need to force their beliefs on others and instead, surrendered to the common belief they all shared—a belief in a power greater than themselves. A belief in God.

By refusing to draw lines in the sand, they were able to come together and get things done as a collective force in their communities. Their spiritual beliefs were different. But, while they could have allowed those differences to alienate them, their shared desire for a better world became a more important issue—something they could rally around. Rather than differences, they focused on common ground. Rather than a "preaching point," they had found a "meeting point."

Margaret thought back to an interview she had done a couple years ago with a lady named Linda. Linda had spent the better part of her life believing that she, and those that believed as she did, knew the only way to God. She once remarked, "I was so wrapped up in this belief system that I began to look down my nose at anyone or any institution that didn't believe as I did. I never so much as listened to the opinions of others. I honestly thought that my way was the only way."

She went on, " My soul just opened up one day and I realized that my cold-heartedness and self proclaimed spiritual superiority had resulted in nothing more than ten years of isolation. I had become a spiritual consumer, focused only on myself and my individual needs. I went to church to be entertained. It never dawned on me that God might expect a response from me in the form of action."

"Eventually, I saw that my self-righteousness was getting in the way of involving myself in life's only true pleasure—doing God's work. That's when I traded my so-called superiority for the opportunity to work with others-many who believe differently than I do-towards the collective goal of feeding the homeless. We opened a wayward shelter for those less fortunate to provide a place where homeless families can be fed in both body and spirit. I still believe what I believe, but now I allow others the freedom to do the same. This newfound freedom has allowed me to transcend religious boundaries and work with a diverse group of people in my community. Together, we are making a far greater contribution to the world, than any of us could have ever done alone."

Margaret began to consider, perhaps for the first time, that this collective spiritual energy-this coming together of diverse and different beliefs—was impacting the world in a powerful and positive way. Every good deed that was quietly being done-every small decency and justice that prevailed—each in its own way, eliminated the possibility that darkness could fill that space. More light, less darkness. Less darkness, more light. Could it really be that simple? Margaret's mind began to race with possibilities...

In the days that remained of a life yet to be lived, Margaret would begin the journey home; a journey that would begin with a spiritual awakening and end with massive action. She bowed her head in prayer—to be still, to listen—to take in and absorb the power that would now illuminate her life as it had so many others. The voice of God—direct, comforting, honest—why had she fought these feelings for so long? Why had it been so difficult to surrender?

So many times before when life had chewed her up and spit her out, she had come to this resting place, on her knees, seeking mercy and grace. But this time it was different. This time, she vowed she would not rise to her feet only to return to her knees when the going got rough. No, this time, she would remain on her knees, perhaps for the rest of her life.

Up to this point, much of her time on earth had been focused on cheap entertainment. Something to numb the pain and distract her from the real work that she knew needed to be done. She had buried herself in her own little world, in acquiring of material things and enjoying personal pleasures. She had climbed the ladder of success, but she could see now that it had been leaning on the wrong wall. The accomplishments that made her feel as if she were doing something noble, had only served to keep her sedated with pride and arrogance. She felt like a spoiled brat.

The nagging feeling in her heart, that she was headed down the wrong road, never went away, never retreated. But her life was comfortable and for anyone observing from the outside, perfect. Yet, on the inside, she was spiritually impoverished, pacing the cage and starving for an authentic life.

She had kept her own light hidden, afraid perhaps of what would happen if she simply let it shine. But now she had tapped into the power of God and for the first time began to experience a love that would allow her to do things she thought she could never do. It was time to reclaim her inner light and become her highest gift.

A few years ago, while conducting some research for an article she had written on the changing global community, she came across some very startling statistics. The numbers, based on what the world would look like if it were shrunk to a small village of precisely one hundred people, seemed to be tattooed on the inside of her forehead. She had tried to ignore them, but they would not go away...

• There would be 57 Asians, 21 Europeans, 14 from the Western Hemisphere and 8 Africans.
• 70 would be nonwhite while, 30 would be white.
• 70 would be non-Christian, 30 Christian.
• A full fifty-percent of the world's wealth would be in the hands of only 6 people. All of these 6 people would be from the United States.
• 70 would be unable to read.
• 50 would suffer from malnutrition.
• 80 would live in substandard housing
• Only 1 would have a college degree.

It had become clear to her that somehow, we as Americans living in a world of abundance had neglected the sanctity of human life. We had become so focused on our own little piece of the planet that those less fortunate never hit our radar screen. We had lulled ourselves into thinking that we could remain isolated forever, oceans apart from the desperation and suffering we so often saw on the nightly news. We were monetarily wealthy and we believed our wealth would protect us.

But the Children of the Light had taught her a different lesson—that people operating from the heart could make a difference. From the elimination of racial hatred and the development of multicultural youth programs for the inner city, to a multinational task force focused on global peace building, to the development of spiritual tolerance that eliminates religious boundaries, a global movement of committed individuals could have an enormous impact on the future of the world. Like a laser beam, this collective spiritual power needs only to be focused with intensity and strength.

The solution was anything but practical. But then love is never practical. The solutions to our world problems cannot be addressed with the head. If we are to improve the state of the world, we must ask God to open the eyes of our heart. Only there will we find the ability to become humble and harness the energy of the spirit.

She thought for a moment of all the time and energy that had been wasted on matters of the head as opposed to matters of the heart. Why, for example do we have daily—even hourly reports—on the state of the war in Afghanistan but nothing is ever mentioned about the state of our children? Why is it OK to address our problems with hatred and violence but unacceptable or even a little wacko to suggest prayer and meditation as an alternative approach? Why do we entertain abortion research and intellectual dialog regarding the number of weeks after conception that physical life is born, without ever considering at what point, prior to conception, the soul is born?

Those and many other questions begged to be answered. The world was heading out of control, down the road of no return. Somehow, she had to do her part to change the course of history. She must take a stand and speak up for the light that lives within the soul of each of us. For we are all Children of the Light, each connected to the same invisible power of love. We can each make a difference. We need only believe it to make it so.

And so it would be, with the dawning of a new day, that the world would pause just long enough to be transformed. It would remember to treasure the virtues of love that are written within the soul and take a collective cleansing breath that would push away fear and allow the God Force to lift us up to a higher level of consciousness. The united energy of those individuals—those Children of the Light—brave enough to stand up and be counted, would indeed change the world forever.

Some Things To Consider

How are you letting your light shine in the world? List two things that you are currently doing to improve the world around you. List two more things that you could do if only you had a little help from your friends. Call your friends and see what can be done to get things moving.

All Rights Reserved © 2002 By Jeffrey Alan Hall