I am the light of the world.
1. Who is the light of the world but the Son of God? I
²This, then, is nothing but a declaration of the truth about yourself.
³It is the opposite of pride, arrogance, or self-deception.
⁴It does not describe the self-concept you have made.
⁵It does not refer to any of the traits you have assigned to your idols.
⁶It refers to you as you were created by God.
⁷It simply states the truth.
2. To the ego, today’s idea is the epitome of self-glorification.
²But the ego does not understand humility, for it confuses it with self-debasement.
³Humility means accepting your role in salvation and refusing to accept any other.
⁴It is not humility to insist that you cannot be the light of the world if that is the function God has given you.
⁵To claim that this cannot be your function is mere arrogance, and arrogance always belongs to the ego. II
3. True humility requires you to accept today’s idea, because it is the Voice of God that tells you it is true. III
²This is an initial step toward accepting your true function on earth.
³It is a giant stride toward taking your rightful place in salvation. IV
⁴It is a clear affirmation of your right to be saved, and a recognition of the power that has been given you to save others.
4. It is helpful for you to think about this idea as often as possible today.
²It is the perfect answer to all illusions, and therefore to all temptation.
³This idea brings every image you have made about yourself to the truth, and helps you leave in peace, unburdened and certain of your purpose. V
5. As many practice sessions as possible should be undertaken today, although each need not last more than a minute or two.
²You should begin by saying to yourself:
³I am the light of the world.
⁴That is my only function.
⁵That is why I am here.
⁶Then, think about these statements for a short while, preferably with eyes closed if the situation allows. VI
⁷Let related thoughts come to you, and repeat the idea to yourself if your mind begins to wander and drift away from the central thought. VII
6. Be sure to begin and end the day with this practice.
²In this way, you will awaken acknowledging the truth about yourself, reinforce it throughout the day, and go to sleep reaffirming your function and your only purpose here.
³These two sessions may be longer than the others, if you find them helpful and wish to extend them.
7. Today’s idea goes far beyond the petty views the ego holds of what you are and what your function is.
²As the bearer of salvation, this is, of course, necessary.
³This is the first in a series of giant steps we will take in the weeks to come.
⁴Today, try to begin laying a solid foundation for these advances.VIII
⁵You are the light of the world.
⁶And God has built His plan for the salvation of His Son upon you.
I Matthew 5:14 “You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden.”
John 8:12 “Then Jesus again spoke to them, saying: ‘I am the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.’”
John 9:5 “As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world.”The expression “light of the world” appears 42 times in the Course: 9 in the Text and 33 in the Workbook.
In the following Lessons, the three aspects of the Self, known as the celebrated divine triad, will be addressed consecutively: Light (Lessons 61, 62, 63, and 75), Love (Lessons 67 and 68), and Will (Lessons 73 and 74). The purpose of these Lessons is to help you identify with these three aspects of your true Self.
II Faced with such ideas, you may feel the tendency to look for a curious compromise. You understand and accept the notion of the ego, and also, to a certain extent, you grasp the concept of the Son of God, sympathizing with the idea that this is your true identity. Yet, surprisingly, you conceive of a third identity, to which you give no name but which you consider as “yourself.” This peculiar figure wavers uncertainly between the nefarious ego—when you see yourself thinking or doing something you deem bad—and a “more neutral” or perhaps “more benevolent” state of mind. This arises from the repugnance you feel at fully identifying with your ego, to which you attribute essentially evil qualities.
In reality, this is not so. First, it is important to understand that the ego is not an entity and has no existence whatsoever. The term ego is used in this Course to refer to a misuse of the mind, and that is a matter of degree. Jesus explains to you that a part of your holy mind is malfunctioning; he calls it “the lower or wrong part” of the mind, and he also tells you that this is the ego’s domain, the realm of illusions. Absolutely all your human experience occurs in that realm, in that mind. It is the stage of the world, of time and space. It is the illusion into which the Son of God’s mind plunges when it believes in the idea of separation. The idea itself is madness, and what that mind experiences is not true: it is a hallucination.
You, Son of God, are eternally in the Heart of God. You, as a human being, are always in the ego, in a state of erroneous mentality to a greater or lesser degree. When you condemn, you are absolutely mistaken; when you forgive, you are far less confused, but you are still in your ego. And the Son of God is wholly unaware of what either one means.
This Course is mental training for the ego mind, to help it function better, to stop experiencing nightmares, and finally to awaken to its divine condition. The mental illness you suffer is extraordinarily insidious, and the identity you have built for yourself is completely submerged in it, to the point that you have no valid perspective; fish do not know they live in water. You cannot save yourself. You do not know what is truly best for you. That is why Atonement does not depend on you.
You are the Love of God and you are not in this world, but while you believe you are, it is helpful for you to see yourself as the light of the world, thus dissipating somewhat the shadows of this dark imaginary place.
III Today’s Lesson is of paramount importance, for it opens the way to true humility, the humility of your ego, the only one truly needed. The word humility comes from the Latin humus, which refers to fertile earth produced from the decomposition of living things. Notice the symbol well: the undoing of what seems alive, of apparent “living beings,” fosters a fertile ground for true Life to be born—your Self.
You undoubtedly have a host of opinions about yourself, and it is also evident that you believe those definitions are correct, for otherwise you would not hold them. That omniscient character you ascribe to yourself—believing that what you think is true—is the arrogance of the ego that Jesus exposes here. Your ego, which knows nothing, dictates to you a definition of your own identity that you accept without question, and from that insane idea of yourself you project an equally insane world.
This Lesson offers you a different vision of what you are. You need not believe it immediately, but it is essential that you give it a chance. From humility, open your mind and invite this new perspective to take root in you. Then, observe how you feel when you host such a guest.
True humility does not consist in belittling yourself, but in recognizing that the definitions you have accepted about yourself are illusory, and that in your essence you are something far greater and truer than your ego could ever conceive. By opening to this idea, you allow the light of truth to begin to dispel the shadows of illusion, preparing the ground for the awareness of your real Self to blossom.
IV This Lesson is the first of the “giant steps” in the Workbook. The other Lessons identified as giant steps are 66, 94, 127, 130, 135, and 194.
V Luke 2:29–30, 32 “Lord, now You let Your servant depart in peace, according to Your word; for my eyes have seen Your salvation […] a light to enlighten the Gentiles.”
This is Simeon speaking, who, after having seen the child Jesus—the light of the world—declares that he can now die in peace. Similarly, here, having recognized that your true condition is to be the light of the world, you can take the first giant step and begin to leave behind in peace your false identity.
Just as Simeon found fullness and peace in beholding the divine light, you too can experience a profound release in recognizing your true essence. This recognition is not a mere intellectual act, but a spiritual awakening that allows you to let go of the bonds of illusion and move toward the truth of your Self.
This first step does not involve a titanic effort, but a conscious surrender to the truth that already dwells within you. By leaving behind the false identity you have constructed, you draw near to the peace that arises from knowing who you really are: the light of the world, a pure reflection of divine love and perfection.
Just as Simeon could rest in peace after his encounter with the sacred, you too can find tranquility and certainty by embracing your true nature. This is the beginning of a transformative journey, in which each step takes you farther from the shadows of illusion and closer to the fullness of your Self.
VI This practice of reflecting on the statements is undoubtedly similar to the practice of the First Review you have just completed. In both cases, it is a mental exercise in which you invite yourself to adopt the ideas presented, reminding yourself of their benefits and supporting your decision with clear and conscious reasoning.
During the First Review, you focused on internalizing the key ideas, recalling their meaning and how they can transform your perception. Similarly, by reflecting on the statements presented to you now, you are reinforcing your commitment to a new mental framework, one that frees you from the ego’s illusions and draws you closer to the truth of your Self.
This process is not merely repetitive, but profoundly transformative. By reminding yourself of the benefits of these ideas and supporting your decision to accept them rationally, you are cultivating a mind more open and receptive to truth. Each time you review these concepts, you clear the path a little more toward clarity and inner peace.
In essence, this practice is a mental training that prepares you to live from a higher perspective, where illusions lose their power and the light of truth shines more brightly. Just as the First Review laid the foundation for deep change, this practice continues building upon that foundation, guiding you toward a fuller understanding of your true identity.
VII This is the practice of letting related thoughts come, which was formally introduced in Lesson 42. Consult that Lesson for detailed instructions.
VIII Luke 6:48 “He is like a man building a house, who dug deep and laid the foundation on the rock. And when the flood arose, the stream beat vehemently against that house and could not shake it, for it was founded on the rock.”