The year 2020 has been described by many, including President-elect Joe Biden, as a “dark winter.” In the life of every person, community and country, dark winters come. At such moments of darkness, light is most valuable and makes its greatest contribution.
December brings with it dark days and bone-chilling winter. For many, this year has cratered into an arctic frost of individual isolation and discouragement, combined with a black hole of economic devastation and disease, including the death of loved ones.
Yet, even in the midst of this bleak midwinter, there is light. Thursday marked the beginning of Hanukkah, with its focus on the miracle of candlelight lasting eight days when darkness should have prevailed. More than a moment of physical illumination, the light of Hanukkah is centered, captured and contained in the soul of every woman and every man.
Years ago, I was in New York and listened to Rabbi Dr. Meir Y. Soloveichik movingly pronounce, “‘The soul of man is the candle of God.’ It is a powerful and enduring image. The human soul is a candle kindled by the Creator. Like a candle’s flame, the soul’s sanctity is so easily extinguished when buffeted by the winds of change, by the zeitgeist, by social pressure or by persecution. And yet like a flame, the soul, if protected, if sustained, if fueled by freedom, by faith, by courage, contains within it an infinite amount of power that can spark and inspire …”
I love that inspired, inspiring and illuminating imagery. I worry about so many in our society, of every faith, and of no faith, whose light is running low at the darkest moment in the darkest of winters.
Albert Schweitzer rightly pointed out that, “In everybody’s life, at some time, our inner fire goes out. It is then burst into flame by an encounter with another human being. We should all be thankful for those people who rekindle the inner spirit.”
I have great gratitude for the “light kindlers” in my life. These extraordinary souls have come in the form of friends and family, coaches and colleagues, true leaders and many heroes and heroines from history. The light kindlers are often disguised as ordinary citizens in my community. They also include individuals I have never met whose words or actions have sparked and inspired my inner flame.
I have learned from many of my Jewish friends that a Jew cannot be content with merely spreading the light of the Torah and mitzvos in their own home. It is vital that the light kindler spread that light outside, into the street, the neighborhood, the community and especially into the hearts of fellow travelers.
The Christian world also focuses on light in the dark winter of December. The light of a star on the darkest of nights heralded the birth of the light of the world, the Savior Jesus Christ. The followers of Jesus were commanded to let their light shine, to be a light to the world and reflect the light of their Savior to others.
Elder Robert D. Hales, a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, observed, “Light and darkness cannot occupy the same space at the same time. Light dispels darkness. When light is present, darkness is vanquished and must depart. More important, darkness cannot conquer light unless the light is diminished or departs.”
For the past several years, the Church of Jesus Christ has encouraged its members and people everywhere to “light the world” through light-kindling actions during the dark winter days of December and beyond.
A dear friend, Marisa Wright, shared with me an experience she had recently with a light kindler from my neighborhood, Terry Olsen. She texted me saying:
“Yesterday afternoon was life-changing for me. Terry Olsen in every sense of the word is a Christian. A true follower of Christ. Terry walked us around downtown Salt Lake City connecting with people living on the street. We gave them a bag of things that will help them on the streets this dark, cold winter and a card with Dane’s picture on it and his story. (Dane is Terry’s son who passed away from a drug overdose.) The card also contained resources for mental health facilities, addiction centers and shelter locations.”
Marisa then described Terry’s interaction with a homeless woman who, under different circumstances, could have easily lived in our neighborhood, but is sadly struggling on the streets of Salt Lake City. She first asked for her name. Then asked where she was from. Then “when is the last time you spoke to a member of your family?” That is Terry’s pattern. The conversation goes from there. She does not patronize, she talks to each person as Christ would, as a son or daughter of God.
They spoke with the women for some time, connected her with family and sent her on her way to get needed help in an Uber. Marisa noted, “It was a life-changing moment for me. I will never look at a homeless person the same way again.”
Light kindlers, like Terry, recognize that it isn’t enough to kindle the light in the currently downtrodden or discouraged. They understand that what the world needs is light and an army of light kindlers who are willing to take their light into the darkness.
For the lighting of the eight candles over the eight days of Hanukkah, there is a unique, special and important ninth candle positioned in the center of the hanukkiah. The ninth candle is called the “shammash,” or servant candle, which is used to kindle the light of the other candles. The shammash is a fitting example of the kind of light kindler that struggling individuals and hurting communities need.
The year 2020 may indeed be a dark winter of struggle and strife. But, like those who share light and allow it to shine into their streets, neighborhoods and communities, we can all strive to be light kindlers for our fellow travelers. We can all make sure that this dark winter is remembered as a season of light.