TLC Blog – Let The Light In Posted on December 21st, 2023 by Neal Hagberg

I think about it a lot.

I believe you do, too.

At the bottom of it all, of the rage, the sadness, the uncertainty, I believe is a fear in us all. Why can’t we seem to get it right? The world is divided. We cannot seem to break out of our fear of the other.

Christian against Muslim against Jewish against Hindu against Buddhist against agnostic against…. on and on. Just switch out the nouns and you have a new “against”.

It is the season of light for the majority religion in our country. A time of hope, a time begging for peace. A time to “be not afraid”. A time to let the light in and transform how we see the world and others.

Light is meant to illuminate. But if we are to dispel the darkness, we must, with the light we have been given, shine that light on the ugliness we sometimes refuse to see in ourselves and in our belief structures that have hurt others simply because they are different from us.

But, if you are like me, you don’t like to see ugly in yourself. I prefer to point it out in others. So how do we let the light in to shine on that “ugly”, which is the only way we can find it and sweep it out the door and make a place of welcome inside us?

I have an idea. It is not my idea. It is an idea I learned from the bravest people in my life. It is not a new one in history, but it works. We have tried it at TLC and it has changed who we are as an organization and as individuals.

We let the light in by hiring staff members and welcoming campers of different religions, races, orientations, cultures, genders, and we find we do not merely coexist, we thrive because of our differences. We teach each other. And, honestly, somewhat miraculously, the fears melt away and we find ourselves celebrating our differences. At least, that is what has happened in my life. I never thought it possible. Until it was.

Is it really as simple as that? No. But we believe it is a start.

Happy new day of letting the light in.

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