“There is sunshine in my soul today, more glorious and bright than glows in any earthly sky. For Jesus is my light.” As a young child, this was one of my favorite hymns we would sing in church. As of today it still is. These are the lyrics that came into my head when I was trying to make it through long and hard swim practices. These are the words that came into my head as I sat waiting in the hospital waiting room, waiting to know if my mom was okay. These are the lines that recite in my head as I study for my AP exams. These words have so much meaning and power behind them.

Religion is a topic that is commonly avoided, but why? As Americans, we are raised on the soil that was once fought over having the freedom to speak for ourselves, vote for ourselves, as well as believe for ourselves. Whether you believe in Jesus yourself, someone around you or close to you does.

It is my belief that Jesus lives and that he loves us and watches over us. He has a Heavenly Father, who is also our father, who loves us and cares for us as we go through difficult trials in our lives. I believe that there is a Holy Ghost who guilds us and gives us comfort when we need it the most. I know that through Jesus, Heavenly Father, and the Holy Ghost we can find the light at the end of the tunnel and get through all the hard obstacles that come our way. Whether or not you believe the same as me I know that this truth affects us all.

Why? Religion is what unites all of us. Religion gives us hope as it gave our ancestors hope. Religion goes back so many years and unites all the cultures and different backgrounds as one.

As Dumbledore kindly reminded the students of Hogwarts during their dark times, “Happiness can be found even in the darkest of times, if one only remembers to turn on the light.” Sometimes we need a reminder that we are not alone in this world. We are not facing our challenges alone. We can find the light and we can find happiness and we can find the sunshine in our souls.