One Little Light
Today, I invite you to worship by lighting a candle. If you don’t have a candle, click on this virtual candle.
The phrase “We have lit a candle in the wilderness and it will never be extinguished” is on the largest window in Gunnison Chapel in upstate New York. It is a phrase that brings me courage and hope, a phrase I think might be able to bring us a sense of peace as we light our candles today.
When in the wilderness, there is often an experience of the unknown. Even on a marked trail, you never know what you’ll encounter. Perhaps you will come upon a beautiful view, see a brilliant bird, or be surprised by a spider web that meets your forehead. Sometimes, the wilderness is dark, cool, and moist. Sometimes, the wilderness is arid, bright, and dry. The wilderness is always a place of surprise that can test us and push us.
To light a candle in the wilderness is then to bring the unknown into focus, to bring hope to a perilous situation, or to bring unexpected joy to a time of confusion. It is a reminder that one small act can bring forth great courage, that one candle might shine on and on unto eternity, and that our light might make way for other lights to shine.
Today, as you light a candle, what does its light mean for you? For your neighbor? For the world?
As you contemplate on these questions, take a moment to listen to Light of the Holy Spirit by India Arie. May the light from this one small candle fill you and make you whole. May it spark in you a renewed connection to the Spirit, and may it give hope in the wilderness.