Whispers of Peace
Candles and Christmas Eve – a perfect pairing. Throw in a congregation singing “Silent Night,” and I will be wholly content on this Holy night.
In all three worship services I attended on Christmas Eve at my church this year, I looked forward to the moment we call “Sharing the Light,” which doubles as the passing of the peace. Watching the light travel from candle to candle down the pews is always moving, even when some of those candles are battery-operated and wielded like light sabers, as was the case in the Family Christmas Eve service. During “Silent Night,” when we raise our candles in unison as we sing the phrase “wondrous star, lend thy light,” my spirit soars.
The candlelight effect is particularly dramatic during the 6:00 PM service in the sanctuary, when a darkened space is gradually illuminated as the pastors proceed down the aisles, igniting the wicks of the worshippers seated at the ends of the pews. From my perch in the choir loft, I have an ideal vantage point to watch the scattered lights transform into a shimmering sea.
After a minister shared the light and passed the peace to me in the choir loft, I turned to the alto seated on my right and did the same: “Peace be with you.” Grasping my little white candle, I turned my attention to the spectacle unfolding underneath the dome. My ears suddenly perked up as I became aware of the flow not only of light but also of sound.
“Peace be with you.”
“And also with you.”
“Peace be with you.”
“And also with you.”
“Peace be with you.”
“And also with you.”
Whispers of peace filled the sacred space. Each time Jesus’ words were uttered, luminosity increased incrementally, wondrous waves of sound and light. The words of the Light of the world were repeated by people who are called to be the light of the world.
On Christmas night, after a day spent with our son, daughter-in-law, and grandchildren, my husband and I returned our home to watch his favorite movie, “It’s a Wonderful Life.” I don’t know how many times I have watched this Christmas classic, but during this viewing the conversation between the Senior Angel and Clarence caught my attention. When the Senior Angel told Clarence he was being dispatched to help a man down on earth, Clarence asked, “Is he sick?” The Senior Angel replied, “No, worse. He’s discouraged.”
For those of us who are seeking to embody the teachings of Jesus, this past year has been particularly discouraging. The people Jesus centered in his earthly ministry – the hungry, the stranger, the poor, the sick, the prisoner – have suffered immeasurably under governmental policies that have dehumanized and demonized them. Warmongering has taken precedence over peacemaking. The compassion taught and modeled by Jesus has been ridiculed by Christian Nationalists who claim his teachings are too weak.
When moments of discouragement surface in the days to come – which they undoubtedly will – I am going to return to Christmas Eve under the dome. I am going to remember what happens when light is spread from one candle to another. I am going to recall the whispers of peace passing from one person to another.
May our light ever increase. May our whispers of peace become shouts of joy.
“The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not overtake it.”
John 1:5
“Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you.
As the Father has sent me, so I send you.”
John 20:21
