Lighting a Candle


You know that at heart I am a devotionalist, a true Bhakti who is willing to do almost anything in the name of prayer.
One of my favourite things to do is to light a candle. This is an old practice that exists in the Christian and Buddhist world. We light a candle in the memory of a loved one and we sit for a while and meditate on its flame.
No matter what I'm doing or how busy I am, whenever I am in the city I stop in at one of my special candle-lighting spots and offer up a candle - normally in memory of my loving grandmother, but also for friends and relatives who may be sick or going through a difficult period.
There are surprisingly few places that allow this beautiful and simple practice - I suppose insurance might be an issue!
But over the next few weeks I will introduce you to a few of my favourite places to offer a candle in prayer.
This week it's St. James Anglican Church in King St. St. James has a kooky side chapel where they host lunchtime prayer, and it's also where they keep the wild spiral candle tree. It's in an excellent, convenient location, and the whole church is almost always empty, so it's perfect for solitary prayer and reflection.

Comments

Popular Posts