Greek artist Loukas Geralis (1875-1958) gives us this painting titled, "Lighting of the Candles." Actually, the young fellow is lighting oil lamps in the chapel before the sanctuary icons. He has gently pulled the lamp down by its pulley. His oil can with its long spout stands on the wood bench. A friend who lived in a Russian monastery for some time was given this job of waking up even earlier than the monks to light the chapel lamps each morning He said it was a mystical time of silence and stillness.
But once again, this outer world moment symbolizes an interior event: each morning, lighting the lamp of trusting, interceding, hoping, commending, struggling, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. wrote: Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that."
We might join this devout young lamp-lighter as he prays and lights the darkness-dispelling lamps. Can you name it? We might pray protection from the darkness - the darkness that wants to invade and un-nerve us each day. Some of it originates from inside; some from elsewhere:
- from the darkness of my worst impulses, protect me, Lord.
- from dark responses, protect me, Lord.
- so much of what we do and say isn't really necessary or helpful, protect me, Lord.
- from obsessing so much, protect me, Lord.
- from dire, panicked predictions, protect me, Lord.
- from disgust, cynicism and depression, protect me, Lord.
- from the darkness of trouble-makers, haters and resent-ers, protect me, Lord.
- from the bad-spirit of punishment and ill will, protect me, Lord.
