There is a candle in every soul
Some brightly burning, some dark and cold
There is a Spirit who brings fire
Ignites a candle and makes His homeCarry your candle, run to the darkness
Seek out the hopeless, confused and torn
Hold out your candle for all to see it
Take your candle, and go light your worldTake your candle, and go light your worldFrustrated brother, see how he's tried to
Light his own candle some other way
See now your sister, she's been robbed and lied to
Still holds a candle without a flameCarry your candle, run to the darkness
Seek out the lonely, the tired and worn
Hold out your candle for all to see it
Take your candle, and go light your world
Take your candle, and go light your worldWe are a family whose hearts are blazing
So let's raise our candles and light up the sky
Praying to our Father, in the name of Jesus
Make us a beacon in darkest timesCarry your candle, run to the darkness
Seek out the helpless, deceived and poor
Hold out your candle for all to see it
Take your candle, and go light your worldCarry your candle, run to the darkness
Seek out the hopeless, confused and torn
Hold out your candle for all to see it
Take your candle, and go light your world
Take your candle, and go light your world
Although I find each word to be worth time spent in reflection, I have underlined the ones that hit home when listening to this piece.
Performed by a South Korean church group, the message remains clear. Wherever you wake up each morning, take the best of who you are and share it with others.
I have discovered a simple way to close the gap between myself and those I interact with daily. I share this with you as a small contribution to a collective spark of light.
Language can hold power over others. This could be a national language or perhaps the insider terminology used in jobs, clubs, religions, and intimate localities that all too easily make one noticeably included or obviously excluded.
Since I work with people all over the globe, I've recently been using Google Translate more than ever. It's not because those I interact with are deficient in their English writing and speaking skills. Most are exceedingly proficient.
So why use a translator? Let me give you a few examples.
Last week, I was working with a lady in Italy. Our communication is typically through email and Microsoft Teams. A customer requested a few changes in our system. My reply was to explain that based on unforgiving software, it was going to be more time consuming than one might realize. I asked for patience but promised to complete the request within 24 hours. She wrote back letting me know this was not mission-critical.
I was grateful so I found a little image on the net with the colors of the Italian flag and the word "Grazie" printed over them. Click send.
The time difference is 6 hours so it was already well past evening in Italy but within seconds, along with the obligatory happy-face emoticon, she responded in caps, "WOW. ITALIAN, THANKS! 😄"
One of my co-workers is from the Philippines. Although she is a staff accountant, she was assigned to work with me on a few things as a back-up. She quickly picked up the procedures and the insider jargon used in my job. One day as she was leaving, she said good-night as she passed by my office. Before replying, I checked the little post-it note attached to my monitor reading the printed words out loud, "Magandang gabi. Salamat!" (Goodnight. Thank you!) She nearly landed on her face as she tried valiantly to halt kinetic motion. For the next few minutes, we enjoyed our first outside-the-job-conversation as we got to know the 'person' just a little better. Several months later, I received an invite to her virtual wedding.
There is a gas station near my house. I used to stop there rather frequently but now, working from home, it seems that once a month is good. The previous owner was from Somalia. After paying for petrol and bread, I put the change in my pocket saying "Mahadsanid." Again, it just means thanks but the reaction was heartwarming. For a second, I think I saw this man return to his homeland for the briefest of seconds.
The suggestion is that we go a little bit out of our way searching for pathways that make others feel comfortable and welcomed. It's possible to bring complete strangers into a brief moment of intimacy.and peace.
"Go Light Your World" teaches that even small sparks can bring blinding light into dark places. The flickering of our candle will ignite the "dark and cold candle" of our brother or sister and within seconds, our flame becomes theirs.
One person, one candle at a time, we can change this world. This transformation happens with a choice - a firm decision to act. All of us will make this choice. We will "take our candles and run into the darkness" or, we will not.
“You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven." Matt 5: 14-16
PS. Sorry, there was no big reveal. The source remains anonymous which is just a nice way to say I completely forgot where I found this song.
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