The Candle Song

Like a candle flame
Flickering small in our darkness
Uncreated light
Shines through infant eyes

Over the past few days we’ve heard a lot about ‘Black Friday’ – Christmas preparation… presents, good deals, spending money to save money.

It’s also been a black weekend with the announcement of a new covid variant and the preparations required to combat it…

Throughout the world today Christians will be celebrating this as the first Sunday in advent. A different preparation of minds and hearts, remembering the advent, the arrival, of a baby.

They will light the first of the advent candles – the candle that signifies hope. Some also call it the candle of prophecy…

Stars and angels sing
Yet the earth sleeps in shadows
Can this tiny spark
Set a world on fire?

This Graham Kendrick song points us to Jesus, the candle flame. Kendrick speaks of the symbolism: ‘…in the writing of this song it was the vulnerability of a candle flame that really impressed me, making that a metaphor for the life of this little baby…’

It’s this vulnerable, small candle flame that became the light of the world… the prophet said: ‘The people walking in darkness have seen a great light’… the spark that set the world on fire with a message of hope.

Yet his light shall shine
From our lives, Spirit blazing
As we touch the flame
Of his holy fire

Musing… on the old well known story… the mystery of the super-natural… angels appearing and disappearing… the fulfilment of prophecies that brought hope… a virgin birth… Emmanuel, God with us.

Musing… on this season when there is so much to distract, focusing on the flickering candle flame, the glimpse of truth, the light in the darkness of Black Friday and Covid fears…

Musing… on the candle that brings me light, that lights my flickering candle so that I can be a light to others.

God is with us, alleluia  
Come to save us, alleluia
Alleluia!