A Light In The Dark

As a kid, I was never afraid of the dark.  I was never bothered by the dark, by darkness.  In fact, I don’t recall any of my brothers or sisters being afraid of the dark.

I mean, there were things we were afraid of.  Like the basement, especially the root cellar.  Especially the part of the basement near the big oil tank that heated our house.  Spooky, really.  My dad would work down there.  Tinker with this or that.  I guess you could call it his man cave before a man cave was ever fashionable.  But the basement never bothered him, at least that I recall.

The dark.  What’s to be afraid of? I can turn off the lights, wait a little bit, and my eyes adjust and I can see.  I mean, not necessarily as well as I can in the light or bright of day, but I can see.  I can make out shapes.  I can tell objects.  What they are, where they are.

I was an altar boy once upon a time.  One of my favorite church services was Midnight Mass at Christmas.  All the altar boys would get on their cassocks and stoles.  We’d march into church behind the priests; take up the first five or six rows on both sides of the aisle. We’d be issued a candle and two of the altar boys would walk down the aisle and light our candles along with the candles of our moms and dads, family and friends.  The lights would go out and the church would be lit up by candles.

Amazingly bright, yet dark the church was.  Shadows bouncing as the candle flames danced with our breath, with the slight movement of air.  Eerie.  Mystical.  Fascinating.

Remember that Bible story about how one does not light a candle and then hide it under a bushel basket?  Maybe not the exact wording, but you get the picture.

I’ve often wondered about that image . . . a candle under a basket.

You know, we have gifts.  Each of us.  Some of us choose to use them.  Some of us choose to hide them . . . under a basket. 

Maybe that basket could be fear. 

Fear of standing out.  Fear of taking the lead.  Fear of appearing smart or clever.  That basket could be laziness.  Lethargy.  Status quo.  Settling for . . .

Amazing what one candle can do.  Amazing what many candles can do. 

Isn’t that what former President George H. Bush meant with his “Thousand Points of Light”?

Each of us being a point of light . . . a candle in the darkness.  Making that darkness just a little brighter.  Maybe a lot brighter.  Many of us joined together to create light.  To bring light . . . to give light.  To each other.  For each other.  To be A Light In The Darkness.  A light, not under a basket, but out so everyone can see.  All of us using that light.  Depending upon that light.  Something to think about . . .

Live Your Life, and Make A Difference!