From the minister:

Be Light Against the Darkness

On our daily walks, which usually happen before the sun is up and after it’s gone down, we see those electric candles in the windows of our neighbors’ homes. This is a season of candles, flames that provide a little light against the darkness, a bit of hope in the night, even a festive feeling of joy in the cold of winter. I was with a group of students one Sunday afternoon early in December as they struggled to light their candles, cold hands barely gripping the lighter and a ferocious wind cruelly extinguishing the flames they’d worked so hard to light. But this group of students represented everything those lit candles would have: hope, joy, and light in the darkness.

This was the first time that Thomas, our 16-year-old son, took me to a protest rally. He’d stood beside me many a time before, holding a sign, keeping count of the number of thumbs up versus the extended middle fingers. But this time it was his rally, and I wasn’t really invited. But because of the icy roads, I told him I’d drive. After we arrived, I stood on the periphery as he stepped up to a huddle of some two dozen students from the Ames High School Progressive Club, as well as representatives from other area high schools. The group included two other Fellowship youth, Emily Roth and Anda Tanaka. Standing outside of Congressman Tom Latham’s office, they held a petition requesting that he use his power to end the war in Iraq.

As they stood shivering and struggling with the lighters, a microphone attached to a bullhorn passed between the hands of several students who read not just the names but also the stories of people from this area who had died in Iraq. They started each story with the person’s name and high school. Oftentimes the story from the soldier’s family or friends recounted how proud that person had been to be a solider. The ages varied, 20, 27, even 40. Some had children; a couple had children on the way. But each had been like these high school students, young and full of the future.

With the list of names completed and a few candles still lit, Anda played taps on her trumpet, and we all stood in silence. It was amazing how long, in that cold and wind, these students stood, reflecting, remembering, bearing witness. Then the group broke up into twos and threes heading for the cars. I don’t know if the congressman gave the petition a second look. But I know that every candle I now see throughout this holiday season will give me more hope, for it will remind me of those young people struggling to light candles with the hope and the faith that they can make a difference.

However you celebrate this season, I hope that you will light candles of meaning and seek to keep them burning.

During the month of January, I will be on study leave. Please contact our Fellowship president, Dallas Thies, for any administrative issues, and Lynne Van Valin and Trish Strah for caring needs. I will check in at the office from time to time. so if you want to get a message to me (as long as it’s not time-sensitive), feel free to leave it there.

Peace,

-- Brian