With the birth of Christianity, the Church not knowing the exact date of birth of its founder, skilfully placed Christmas Day, which heralds the birth of one who would be known as the Light of the World, three days after the Winter Solstice.
The weeks before Christmas are called Advent, from the Latin word advenire, which means to look forward to. What many Christians forget however is the nine month journey of that child in his mother’s womb, a journey that each one of us has made. And with our birth each of us is responsible for carrying a single light for humanity. Lighting a candle at any time is a reminder of the flame within each one of us that we need continually to guard.
Strangely enough I was thinking about something similar this morning. I saw an article about the Uighar (sorry, I can’t spell it!) people in China being used in slave labour in the cotton fields. This made me think about the slave trade of old, and the sadness that so many lives are never allowed to be lived to the full, or are cut short in war, or famine. Tolkien survived WWI and gwve us the Lord of the Rings, but how many great authors died without ever writing their books? Vaughan Williams survived to give us ‘The Lark Ascending’ but how many musicians or artists did not? Sheku Kanneh-Mason gives us such wonderful music, such a gifted cellist, but how many other children never get the chance to learn the skill they were born to enjoy, to explore their creativity or ingenuity? But as you remind us, James, we all of us have the light inside us, every single person from our birth, whatever circumstances meet us in the life ahead. Lighting a candle is for the light within, for ourselves and for all of us, whether known or unkown, seen or hidden, recognised or not, fulfilled or not; each one carries our own individual flame for humanity.
Thank you dear James and Elizabeth. It’s so important to remember this. And lighting a candle is a lovely way to keep it in mind.
THANK YOU FOR THIS, ELIZABETH AND IT REMINDS ME THAT MANY ARE BORN MILLIONAIIRES BUT DIE PAUPERS, THEIR TALENT NEVER EXPLORED. WITH LOVE JAMES