Why "Light Another Candle"

Welcome to my blog, Light Another Candle, and my first post.

The following experience will explain why I chose that title.

For over twenty years I was employed by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints as a teacher/administrator in its religious education program.

Nine of those years were spent happily in Pima, Arizona. One winter morning I left home while it was still dark to attend a meeting in Mesa. An hour into the trip, sunup was approaching when suddenly there was a brilliant flash of light on my left.

It was coming from the top of a mountain about 25 miles south, El Capitan, The Captain. It was only a pinpoint, but it was so white and brilliant that it was almost painful to watch.

It persisted for perhaps 20-30 seconds, then slowly dimmed and disappeared. What could have caused it? My mind searched for possible answers, until after several minutes the light dawned.

Pun intended.

On the top of the mountain was a Forest Service fire look-out tower.

I had never seen it, but during several summers of work with the Bureau of Land Management as a fire fighter, our crew had received information about fire locations from that tower, relayed to us by our dispatcher.

On the mountain top that morning it was already sunrise, and the glass sides of the observation cab at the top of the tower had caught the early rays of the sun, white and pure, high above any filtering pollution, and had reflected it into the narrow section of arc through which I happened to be passing.

This experience became a favorite object lesson in my teaching. In our Christian discipleship we are like the fire lookout tower.

We do not originate the light.

That comes from a higher, purer source, the Light of Christ.

Our responsibility is to reflect it into the darkness around us with words and actions that mirror the Source.

In fact, under the terms of Christian discipleship, we are under command to do so.

 When Jesus said, "Let your light shine before men..." (Mathew 5:16), He did not preface it with, "It would be nice if you could." He was speaking in the injunctive or command mode.

 Therefore, for those who follow Him, the choice of lifting some small light to the world to challenge the increasing darkness, has already been made.

Paul used the same imagery as he spoke of our obligation to "shine as lights in the world" (Philippians 2:15). In another scripture, Jesus repeated this injunction: "Therefore, hold up your light that it may shine unto the world. Behold I am the light ye shall hold up..." (3 Nephi 18:24).

Many future posts will follow this theme, but some will not always have a strictly spiritual outlook.

If we limit the Light of Christ to the purely spiritual as usually defined, we fail to understand the remarkable pervasiveness of this power.

True, we find it in its purest form in those things directly associated with Christ. But this light is also part of the heritage of every person, outwardly religious or not, part of the spark of Divinity each of us shares under the Fatherhood of God, drawing us instinctively to the good and beautiful.

It persists, even if dimmed by the filtering pollution of the world, unless extinguished by rejection.

Therefore, to recognize it, radiate it, celebrate it, and encourage it is part of our obligation.

It shines not only in the customary spiritual sense, but also in all things that elevate the dignity of mankind, that promote charity, that foster liberty, agency and accountability.

It shines in the goodness of common people - friends or strangers - as well as in a Mother Teresa. It shines in the work of a Mohandus Gandhi as well as in the inspired vision of America's founding fathers.

It shines as much in the quiet love of a parent of teacher as in the vision of a Marten Luther King, Jr.

Therefore, I offer to Light Another Candle, joining the thousands of others shining among us, as my statement against darkness, negativism, despair, and the captivity of the human spirit, saying in my limited way, as Gandalf did to the Balrog on the bridge in the mines of Moriah, "You cannot pass."

I hope you will join me.