For Christians in the Northern Hemisphere, the Seasons of Advent & Christmas are easily associated with light in darkness. The sun is low in the sky and the further north one travels the shorter the day, until of course one reaches the very far North and daylight ends up being only a couple of hours in the day – if that. The early Christians found here an easy symbolism with their faith in God whose love is like light in a dark and cruel world.
And so, we have Christmas Trees and street illuminations and Christmas cards abounding with images of candles and stars…. Light in darkness.
A Christian Prayer on Lighting the Advent candles
Lord God, may the light of your love always shine in our hearts. As Christmas draws closer, we marvel at your great love for us. Let your love transform every aspect of our lives and touch everyone we encounter. Our hearts are open to you. Through Christ we pray. Amen
But this time of the year sees other Faiths too looking at the symbolism of light in darkness.
In Judaism the Festival of Hanukkah is a joyous festival – celebrating the victory of light over darkness. Hanukkah is also known as the Festival of Lights and lasts eight-days. The Jewish community remember how the Temple in Jerusalem was captured and defiled by the Syrian Greeks but a revolt led by Judah the Maccabee captured the Temple. They cleansed it and rededicated the Temple to God in an 8-day celebration in which, according to rabbinic tradition, despite little oil the lamps miraculously kept burning for 8 days. The Menorah is a 9-branch candelabra; one branch for each day of the festival and one branch from which to light the other candles. It is very much a family festival.
A Jewish Prayer in Lighting the Hanukkah Candles
Blessed are you, Our God, Ruler of the Universe, who makes us holy through Your commandments, and commands us to light the Hanukkah lights.
Again for those of Hindu, Sikh and Jain Faiths, Diwali is their festival of Lights; it lasts for 5 days and usually falls between October and November. In fact, Diwali means “a row of lighted lamps.” Followers will decorate their homes with little lamps called diyas. The belief is that the lights help Lakshmi, the – goddess of wealth and good fortune – find her way into people’s homes. Its also a time for fireworks lighting up the sky.
Light in Sikhism.
Guru Nanak used the metaphor of light to mean the knowledge which removes the darkness of ignorance from the human mind. The impacted person is content and joyful. Without such knowledge, one remains in the dark, lost in falsehood, and lives a miserable life. [1]
In Islam, there may not be a Festival of Light, but light itself is central to Islamic understanding of Allah.
For Muslim scholars, light holds great significance not only due to the fact that An-Nur (Light) is one of the names attributed to God but also symbolically, light is often associated with guidance (hidayah) [2]
A Muslim Prayer for Light
O Allah, place within my heart light, and upon my tongue light, and within my ears light, and within my eyes light, and place behind me light, and in front of me light, and above me light, and beneath me light. O Allah, bestow upon me light.
[1] https://www.sikhnet.com/news/when-light-dimmed
[2].Abdul Halim, Abdul, Karim 2019 The Nature and Concept of Light in Islam: Insights from Al-Ghazali’s Mishkat al-Anwar and Scientific Theories Pertaining to Light
Wonderful illustration of the light that pervades all faiths and brings us together in realisation that all beings share this world …May we continue to support and hope for peace.