Churches introduce garden outdoor lighting
There are very few things in life that people are more passionate about than their religion. Throughout the ages, all of the major and minor world religions have inspired individual people and entire communities to perform amazing deeds in the name of their Gods. From the animal sacrifice and ritual purification of animism through to the amazing architecture of Christianity and Islam, religion has been the catalyst for many of the extraordinary actions of our time. People are very passionate about their religious beliefs; and whether it is a large global act, or a small action performed on a local scale – religion gives people a reason to make a mark upon the world.
Christianity is the world’s largest religion, and the driving force behind numerous religious actions of all shapes and sizes. The Christian faith has given many people the inspiration to perform missionary work on the other side of the world, and the drive to design and build the beautiful churches of the world. However, it is not only these large, brave, and extraordinary actions that have been inspired by the Christian God. Many people believe in the gentle God that shows his face in small deeds and everyday actions. The simple act of giving to the poor or installing a garden light into the grounds of a church can be just as powerful as a sign of faith and a message of hope.
It could be argued that the very nature of religion gives rise to the extraordinary, as all religious beliefs have some kind of supernatural or transcendent quality. Whether it be a prayer to God or a specific kind of ritual; faith is a big part of any religious experience. Many religious rituals throughout the ages have used light as a metaphor for the transcendent quality of the divine; whether it be in the form of a candle, a lantern, or a ritual fire. Some modern churches are using garden outdoor lighting as a way to bring the special quality of light to the outdoor spaces surrounding their sacred buildings.
In many theological traditions the concept of light has been used as a way to refer to the divine presence of Gods and other spiritual beings, and a way to distinguish spiritual qualities from physical ones. The concepts of truth and illumination relate to this quality of light, which is often played out in specific rituals and religious practices. The Christian tradition uses candles and electric lights on church ceilings and in church gardens as a way to represent the divine nature of God in a form that can be understood by humans. While the transcendent quality of God and the nature of divinity can never be totally represented in a physical form – it is light which is perhaps the best representation of the spiritual world and the faith that connects us all to it.