Today I awoke to news that The Notre Dame Cathedral in France had caught on fire. Videos of praying hands and singing voices and disbelief bombarded the media. Today the news was full of France. The noise of the Cathedral. The history. Today the world focused on the beautiful church only to forget about the three predominately black Baptist churches to be burned down in Louisiana. Places of worship. Equally important and yet unequally portrayed. The building worth an incredible amount of money. That money unequally distributed. 

Both events are tragic. Videos of a fire that looks to be thriving and screaming and yanking down the walls of God. And as I was reading post after post of tragedies involving the Louisiana churches and then The Notre Dame Cathedral, I could not help but remember the introduction to one of my favorite poems by Marianne Williamson. Because immedietely when we see fire, we begin to fear. For whatever reason, that light sometimes burns more deeply than darkness itself. 

Our Deepest Fear

Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. 
Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. 
It is our light, not our darkness
That most frightens us.

We ask ourselves
Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous?
Actually, who are you not to be? 
You are a child of God.

Your playing small 
Does not serve the world. 
There's nothing enlightened about shrinking 
So that other people won't feel insecure around you.

We are all meant to shine, 
As children do. 
We were born to make manifest 
The glory of God that is within us.

It's not just in some of us; 
It's in everyone.

And as we let our own light shine, 
We unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. 
As we're liberated from our own fear, 
Our presence automatically liberates others.

And so tonight as we contemplate the tragedies that have occurred, remember to let your light shine upon all places of worship not just the ones that make headlines. Let your knowledge of the power of God and the tragedies that are hidden liberate you to discuss the injustices of this world that prevent a light from shining equally among all people. All places of worship. All hearts. Let your light shine. Don't be afraid.