From the Pastor |
The Four Candles burned slowly. Their ambiance was so soft you could hear them speak...
The first candle said, "I Am the Flame of Peace, but these days the world is so full of violence that I cannot seem to stay lit." Then Peace's flame slowly diminished and went out completely. The second candle said, "I Am Faith, but these days, I am no longer indispensable or sustainable. Doubt and disbelief are just too strong." Then Faith's flame also went out. The third candle spoke, "I Am Love. This world is so full of anger and hatred. People put me aside and don't understand my importance. They even forget to love those who are nearest to them and I just haven't the strength to stay lit any longer." The flame of Love went out completely. Just then… A child entered the room and saw the three candles were no longer burning and began to cry, "Why aren’t you burning? You are supposed to stay lit until the end." Just then the Fourth Candle spoke gently, "Don't be afraid, I Am the Flame of Hope, and as long as I still burn, we can re-light the other candles." With shining eyes, the child took the Candle of Hope and lit the other three candles: Love, Faith and Peace. That is why we celebrate Easter; to celebrate the renewal of the flame of HOPE. This past week, what we refer to as Holy Week, is a time of darkness and shadows. A time when we find the true evidence of God’s Love for us. Jesus, the Christ, entered Jerusalem like a hero… among crowds of cheering fans, and yet… in less than a week’s time he was arrested, put on trial, scourged and crucified. His disciples… his faithful followers who pledged to follow him even unto death had all deserted him. They betrayed him, denied knowing him and fled in fear for their own lives. It seemed that all hope was lost!! But then… on the first day of the week, very early in the morning, the women went to the tomb to properly anoint Jesus’ body. There they found an amazing thing… the tomb was empty. Jesus had risen from the dead… HE WAS ALIVE! Recently the news is full of stories that challenge the spirits of many of the faithful. The 2016 presidential campaign appears to be dividing America in new ways. Anger and insults have replaced discourse and civility. Terrorist attacks Tuesday in Belgium claimed more than 30 people and injured about 300 more. Other terrorist attacks this month alone have killed 42 people in Turkey and another 65 in Nigeria. Still another 29 people were killed by a suicide bomber at a soccer stadium in Iraq. We can see how easily the flames of peace, love and faith are, if not blown out… at least waning in our world… and for many people, it seems like hope is gone as well.
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Yeon Shin
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