Since the global pandemic began almost two years ago, religious leaders have sought different ways to support the larger community while providing for the needs of members of their congregations. Many have turned to the evening ritual lighting of Candles of Hope.
One of the most important features of a ritual is that it not only marks time; it creates time. By defining beginnings and ends, rituals structure our social worlds and how we understand time, relationships, and cope with change and uncertainty.
Lockdown, quarantine, isolation. These words are now part of our every day conversations. People are unable to gather in their places of worship and for many, the world has become a much darker place.
So, what have people done in times of darkness? Well, they have created light, through ritual fires or candle lighting; all symbols of the light of Christ, a man who brought hope to a nation struggling under the darkness of oppression.
Each day, as darkness begins to descend on the land, I am joining this collective witness and leaving a light in the window, with these words:
“A single drop of water may seem insignificant, but many drops of water can fill an ocean. One Candle may not seem sufficient but, as we light candles together, may their light shine through the darkness, bringing us closer to the true light, the light of Christ in these times of uncertainty. Amen
I am inviting each of you to join me in this empowering, collective ritual. As you begin to feel comfortable with the daily practice, you might want to lift the name or names of people you know to be in particular need. Each day, you might feel the need to add a photo of someone or something that has deep meaning to you. The personal touch has endless possibilities. In fact, you might even wish to share a photo of your ritual with our office at southwestunited@gmail.com and perhaps Amy can post them in our weekly news letter.
How long should this ritual last? I have no concrete plan as to when it should end. For so many of us, we seem to be stuck in a state of prolonged liminality and life “as normal” is distinctly over. Yet we have not returned to whatever our “new normal might be.
So, we wait in this in-between state, betwixt and between, neither here nor there, suspended. Time has lost so much of its structure, its rhythm. So many of us feel the need to do “something” as we are told to do as little as possible.
For me, the ritual of candle lighting and prayer seems the most comfortable path forward until we arrive at a place as yet unknown.
Shine your light so that all who pass by your window might feel a sense of hope and the presence of Christ.
Amen
Pastor Beryl, DLM
