CapeConversation

We’ve been playing with light – a complex subject, but that’s all the more reason to have fun with it. And in fact, our initial section on Saturday evening (after an introduction from Andrew) dealt with the complexity of light from a physicist’s perspective. Christina gave us a fascinating display of some of the cooler toys involving light – including a light mill (or radiometer if you prefer), and an intriguing application of a laser pointer…

“Reveal”, a four-part choral arrangement from Nic, focussed our thoughts on the spiritual interpretations of images and light in the sense of emerging from obscurity into understanding. As a common contemplative and theological thread connecting the whole evening, we regularly paused to meditate in song with Nic’s “Reveal”, and a Taizé arrangement called “Our Darkness”, which reminds us that even our darkest hours and darkest parts are known and cared for and loved by God.

The play of light and shadows over objects and scenes has been a continual source of inspiration to artists, and Ann took us through some of the developments in Impressionism under Monet and Turner, and the extent to which the details of objects in the physical world fell further into the background in favour of a fascination with the natural light in the skies and reflecting across water. Abstracting even further from the physical world, Michael led a contemplation on light as a theological and eschatological metaphor, the “seeing the light” of faith and transitions into the shadow world of death.

But shadows are ethereal and elusive, and Angela’s song “Glimpses” gave a beautiful account of the fringes of understanding which we feel when our vision is incomplete. What we see only in glimpses is known only in glimpses, and so we strive towards the light of true understanding. Theresa led us in a physical exploration of shadow and highlighting with paper, where form was defined only by light and shade.

Tim’s contribution pulled us back to the Light of the World in Jesus, who came that we might have light – so what better way to celebrate than to Make Light? We ended in dance and joyful movement to the strains of such tunes as Van Morrison’s “Whenever God Shines His Light” and Bob Marley’s “Sun is Shining”.  And as a final move towards transcendence, we moved into chocolate mousse cake and excellent conversation and reflections!