Music Thousands of candles can be lighted from a single candle,
And the life of the candle will not be shortened.
Happiness never decreased by being shared.
Dear friends,
Welcome to our meditation today which is on the theme of sharing the light.
Before we begin,
Can you make sure that you are really comfortable?
Meditation is not meant to be an endurance test.
Take a moment to relax.
Remember that there will be time later for any jobs that need to be done.
So leave aside the tasks of the day and allow yourself just one minute of total peace.
Music Welcome back.
Have you ever felt that your light has gone out?
That the spring has gone out of your step?
A time when you find your earlier enthusiasm is on the wane.
Something you've given your life to has not worked out.
And a period of darkness seems to have taken hold.
Let's take one minute to offer thoughts of loving kindness to anyone,
Ourselves included,
Currently caught up in a period of darkness.
Music Music Welcome back.
In dark times,
Please do not lose heart.
Remember you are not alone.
This dark night of the soul is a common experience.
Your support in these times will be the words,
This too will pass.
Remember that a new dawn follows every night and a new spring follows every winter.
Your light will shine again.
Think for a moment about the life of a candle.
A candle burns a little hesitantly at first.
Then the light takes hold and all is well.
All is light.
But sometimes the wick is flooded with wax and the flame flickers and dies.
Sometimes a sudden wind blows the candle out.
But thankfully for us,
When our light fails,
We are not alone.
Even though in the darkness we may mistakenly think that this is so.
Because we human beings have a natural empathy for one another.
Especially when we see someone else in danger or difficulty.
As Albert Schweitzer reminds us,
Sometimes our light goes out but is blown into flame by another human being.
This is our comfort and our consolation.
Each of us owes deepest thanks to those who have rekindled this light.
Again,
Words from Albert Schweitzer.
Let's pause to give thanks for those who have rekindled our light.
Those who have shown us a safer way.
Those who have been there for us in the dark times.
That prayer will be honoured and blessed You Welcome back again.
The message of this reflection is to share our light.
Remember to share our light.
Remembering those who have been there for us,
Let us resolve to be a light for those who are currently walking a dark road.
There are some quotes to encourage us in this.
From Ralph Waldo Emerson,
The purpose of life is not to be happy,
It is to be useful,
To be honorable,
To be compassionate,
To have it make some difference that you have lived and lived well.
From Charles Dickens,
No one is useless in this world who lightens the burden of another.
From John Holmes,
There is no exercise better for the heart than reaching down and lifting people up.
John Bunyan tells us you have not lived today until you have done something for someone who can never repay you.
And finally from Shannon L.
Alder,
One of the most important things you can do on this earth is to let people know that they are not alone.
Which brings us back to our opening quote.
Thousands of candles can be lighted from a single candle and the life of the candle will not be shortened.
Happiness never decreased by being shared.
So may you receive happiness,
May you spread happiness.
In your moments of darkness may someone offer a light to you and may you carry that light with you and share it with someone whose light has just for now gone out.
Namaste.
