I am not the Candle

Here’s the thing. I like to read. I really enjoy it. If you wrote a bad book I probably didn’t read it – bad books are ones that have never been recommended to me. I rarely choose books on my own because I’m not interested in wasting my time.

That being said, I spend a good bit of my time in the book store (never the library; I am an active reader). I walk past bookshelves labeled things like “Must Reads!” “Books for the Beach!” , “Books that Make you Think.” , ect.

Every time I go to the bookstore I think about the many people in my life who don’t read books for “fun”. Those people who only read non-fiction or self help Christian books or that kind of thing. To those people – you are preventing yourself from learning things by underestimating the authors and the knowledge stored in books by fiction authors, poets, ect. But that is beside the point.

The point is, I learned something biblical not from the Bible, Daniel Platt, Andy Stanely, or the likes but from Edith Wharton.

 

This women was a fiction novelist in the early 20th century. She wrote excellent novels like Age of Innocence. She is also quoted as saying, “There are two ways of spreading light: be the candle or the mirror that reflects it.”

Deep! I know!

But really, isn’t this true? Jesus said that he “is the light of the world” and that “whoever follows him will never walk in darkness, but have the light of life.” (John 8:12). You see Jesus is the light source. He is the candle.

Jesus lit the world with his compassion, his love, and his kindness toward people. He healed them because he loved them. He took care of them because he loved them. He ministered to them because he loved them. And he died on the cross because he loves us. Jesus brought light to the world through his actions, his message, and his resurrection. Jesus is the candle.

And as John 8:12 says, as his followers we are in the light. We are forgiven. And we are called to reflect the light we have found on the world. We are the mirror.

Mathew 5:16 commands Christ followers to “Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven.” In other words we are to be a mirror of Christ. We are to reflect his light onto the the rest of the world. We are to live our lives in such a way that God would be proud.

I am not the light source, but I am a reflection of it. I am not the candle, but I am the mirror.

That means that I need to live in such a way that non believers can see the love of God, the peace and hope and joy found in him because of my actions.

I am not the candle. I am a mirror.