Light in the darkness. In every culture, in every religion, in every wisdom tradition, light is a metaphor for knowledge, sight, understanding, consciousness, awakening, birth and rebirth. Such a universal metaphor and such a rich set of associations!
Every time we light a candle, especially in the dark, we are reminded of all that it can stand for. As Adlai Stevenson said of Eleanor Roosevelt when she died in 1962: “She would rather light a candle than curse the darkness, and her glow has warmed the world.”
Light one candle for the Maccabee children
With thanks that their light didn’t die
Light one candle for the pain they endured
When their right to exist was denied
On the altar: 4 candles for the directions, a wreath with 4 candles around the edges and a 5th (larger) candle in the middle.
read moreI will light candles this Christmas.
Candles of joy, despite all sadness.
Candles of hope where despair keeps watch.
