We attended the Christmas Eve candlelight service at our church. For those unfamiliar, prior to the service, each churchgoer takes an unlit candle upon entering for the service. The lights are dimmed in symbolism of the spiritual darkness before the birth of Jesus Christ. The pastor or an usher lights a single candle, which symbolizes Jesus’ birth. That lit candle is touched to the first unlit candle in the congregation, whose owner lights another, and so on. In this way, every candle in the congregation is lit, as we are commanded to spread the light of Christ to the world.
At the close of the service, the candles are blown out by their owners. This isn’t symbolic; it’s simply the end of worship and time to return the candles. At least, that’s the way it’s supposed to go. One particular child had no desire to blow out his or her candle, and the pastor gently called them out on it. He had to ask a couple more times before they relinquished, and finally blew out their candle. There is a lesson in this, too, I think.
We live in the world, which has its own rules, its own ideas, and sometimes, its very own concept of right and wrong — which sometimes differ wildly from God’s right and wrong. We must in turn, sometimes, rebel against this and hold onto God’s light. Even when the world is telling us to put out our light, we must hold on and keep it lit.
Then Peter and the other apostles answered and said, “We ought to obey God rather than men.”
Acts 5:29
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