Jesus bids us shine, as a pure clear light,
like a little candle burning in the night.
In this world of darkness so let us shine,
You in our small corner and I in mine.
The words of a chorus learnt in Sunday school, complete I believe with actions. This morning we are celebrating Candlemas (normally on 2nd February). This ancient festival marks the mid-point of winter, halfway between the shortest day of the year and the forthcoming spring equinox. In years past many people used to say that the Christmas season lasted for forty days, like lent and therefore Christmas officially finished on the second day of February – Candlemas.
Traditionally this was the day in the year when all the candles that were to be used in the church during the coming year were brought into the church and a blessing would be said over them. So it was a festival day, or mass of the candles.
Obviously candles were more important in the past because there were no electric lights to read or work by and many people also believed that they offered protection against the plague, illness and famine.
Today they tend to be more of an accessory, for decorative purposes, but also they mark occasions like birthdays, baptisms and anniversaries. I have at home a special 25th candle from my silver wedding.
The Romans had a custom of lighting candles to scare away evil spirits in the winter, and in Scotland Candlemas was the day when the children brought candles to school so that the classrooms could have light on dull days. As time went on gas lighting took over from candle light. The children took money to the teacher who was supposed to spend it on sweets and cakes for the children. Th boy or girl taking in the most money were then declared the Candlemas King and Queen and ‘ruled’ for six weeks; having the power to make one afternoon a week a playtime and they could also let anyone they wished off punishment. I bet Ofsted would have something to say about that! And it hardly meets the healthy eating policies now promoted.
For Christians of course candles hold much more importance – they were and still are both a reminder that Jesus is the light of the world and representative of the light of goodness and of God shining in an otherwise dark world.
“The light shines in the world and the darkness has not overcome it.”
“Behold I am the light of the world” says Jesus.
Jesus is God’s light in flesh – a human candle bringing the message of salvation, the light of hope and of love. Children are often afraid of the dark and between you and me if I am ill at night, I sleep with the bedside light on. There is comfort in light and shadows and fear fades. I love candles, candles at Christmas, a candlelit dinner, so much more romantic and I use candles in my prayer life. Many people will light a candle for someone who has died – showing their passage from darkess into eternal light and life.
Each candle has its own representation, on a cake one for every year, in church perhaps one for every soul, on a table symbolic of love, in private, one for every prayer, but always they represent light in darkness; Jesus in The World. When we look to Jesus we glimpse the light of eternity. When we look to Jesus he lights up the darkness in our souls, the darkness in our lives in the world. He is light and hope and faith and love. He drives from us the snares of evil and leads us. Wise men followed a star at Christmas – we follow Jesus the light of the world, and we celebrate someone when we light just one candle.
Going back to the words of our song:
Jesus bids us shine like a pure clear light,
Like a little candle burning in the night.
Jesus bids us shine – to show further his light in the world to others, indeed to take his light to others so they too may remain no longer in darkness – our lives should shine forth; where ever we are, whoever we are, whatever we do, we should shine for Jesus, you in your small corner and I in mine.
Jan