Candles and Lights

Light is central to our being. Without it life itself is not possible. In the Biblical Creation story, light is the first thing created by God:

In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. The earth was without form and void, and darkness was over the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters. And God said, "Let there be light," and there was light. And God saw that the light was good. And God separated the light from the darkness. ~ (Genesis 1:1-4)

The book of Isaiah tells of the coming of the Messiah, the one who brings light:

The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; those who dwelt in a land of deep darkness, on them has light shined. (Isaiah 9:2)

The Gospel of John begins his narrative in this fashion:

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made. In him was life and the life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it. (John 1:1-5)

Today, we continue to use the light of candles and electric lights to symbolize this.

This is the message we have heard from him and proclaim to you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all. (1 John 1:5)