"Carry your candle, run to the darkness
Seek out the helpless, confused and torn
And hold out your candle for all to see it
Take your candle, and go light your world"
~Chris Rice, "Go Light Your World"
These are the lyrics that have forever been etched into the deepest creases of my spirit.
"Go Light Your World", a 2004 single by the American singer-songwriter Chris Rice, has landed its secure place among my all-time favorite songs. Though this song is generally considered to be a piece of contemporary Christian music, I feel that it can speak to and inspire people of all religions and backgrounds. This excerpt, the song's simple but elegant chorus, embodies the heart of the song's message by using an extended metaphor: Our candles are our spirits, and we have the power to inspire and influence others, to change their days, outlooks, maybe even lives.
I first came across this song two summers ago, at OASC (Ohio Association of Student Councils) summer workshop. Although I didn't know it at the time, this week turned out to be a big aha-moment-life-changing experience for me. Each night, we ended with a Closing, where all of us campers would gather cross-legged on the patio under a blanket of stars and sing OASC songs together from an inspirational songbook, and our staff members would sometimes give us short motivational speeches. The closing that I feel impacted me the most was Friday night. We sang Chris Rice's "Go Light Your World", all our imperfect voices blending together into one. Afterward, we each received a long white candle, and our staff members lit them for us. We carried them as we walked back to the dormitories, a path of flickering will-o'-the-wisps lighting up the night sky. It was a cool, breezy night, and we relit each other's candles whenever the wind blew them out.
Kindness, like fire, does not dwindle when given away. It only spreads. Lighting someone else's candle does not diminish the size of your own flame. But it does add another light to the night sky, another bright spirit, shining all its own. And chances are, that candle will go on to light many more, leaving a trail of flames in its wake. Just the same, giving someone a small act of kindness or love does not diminish what you own.
People often ask, "What is the meaning of life? What was I sent here to do?" I think Chris Rice has at least part of this thing figured out. We're here to light candles. So let us keep our own candles burning bright, shield them from the wind, and pass on the flame to others. Make us a beacon in darkest times; a thousand flames, woven together into constellations.
Oh haha to end things on a slightly lighter note, here's a (super adorable) picture of me from this summer's vacation so pretend like you guys care a lot—
Hi JennyBear! I think I'm the only one who'd call you a cheesy name like JennyBear, so, even without looking at my email address, you'd probably guess who I am. Anyways, that quote is, like, super inspiring. Bringing light into the world is one of my own personal goals, assuming you read my blog. And as for what we were sent here to do, i think that we all pass on our light in different ways. some of us inspire others, passing their light on by kindling a fire within the soul. Others of us spread our fire through love. I like to think that I spread my own little flame through laughter and bad jokes. I've lost count of how many times I've made a really bad joke, and nobody laughed. But nonetheless, it's worth a shot.
ReplyDeleteKnock Knock
Who's there?
No one.
Wait a minute. If there was no one there, why would you be talking to me?!?
Sorry if there are a lot of typos. the keyboard is TERRIBLE.
I really enjoyed how you made all your information personal, connectable and also academic. I really liked how your quote was explaining how you should share your own ideas, thoughts and opinions with others and how this was like your fire. I think that overall, your quote really sent a powerful message on how you can share your light with others and how you can do that to better show your personality.
ReplyDeleteI like the comparison you made of kindness and fire. Many times kindness is under appreciated but it can make a huge difference in not only someone's day, but their life.
ReplyDeleteComing from a Christian point of view, I like the way you said that the light never diminishes and only spreads. This made me think how that light is like love and that we should spread our love for Christ and our neighbors to others.
ReplyDeleteVery good depth and meaning in both the quote you chose and the analysis, I also think it's a very accurate using fire to describe kindness. Fire's hot and it can burn.
ReplyDeleteI really hope this is more than just a song, this needs to be gospel music, You made everything you wrote connectable and easy to understand. I enjoyed the use of metaphors throughout the post. You took your writing to a whole new level, excellent job!
ReplyDeleteI like how you were very specific, sharing with us all the details of why this quote means a lot to you, it also helped us visualize the setting when everyone took their candles and lit them outside.
ReplyDeleteAlso I happened to go to OASC last year.
My favorite line is "Fire, like kindness, does not dwindle when given away. It only spreads." I think it's really interesting how you compare fire and kindness, I've never seen those two being compared together before.
ReplyDeleteI really liked the candle part of the OASC summer workshop. I think my favorite part of the experience is how one tiny flame from one candle, can spread to so many people.
Aww, thank you for being so specific :) and also for bringing up memories of oasc... *tears up
DeleteCan we just talk about your playlist on the side, because yes girl those songs are freaking amazing, all of them!!!!
ReplyDeleteThanks all of you, you're so sweet ^_^
ReplyDeleteLove the super adorable picture :-) Also, know this song well and loved being reminded of its powerful lyrics! You created some beautiful imagery in your post, especially this line: "a path of flickering will-o'-the-wisps lighting up the night sky." Thanks for such an inspiring introduction!
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