Illumination

Candles are a safe,

controllable method

of being reminded

of fire's two essential qualities:

heat and light;

and with these hi-tech,

dripless varieties,

it's almost as if

they burn but don't burn.

We no longer need them

for their light, now that

we have electricity

to incandescence and beyond.

But our hearts are hungry

for what's lurking beneath

our own shadows;

to let you claim and redeem

the parts of us that we're afraid

to let anyone else see,

because those parts

don't measure-up

to the world's demand

for perfection.

In the half-light of our lives,

O God, claim us,

redeem us, send us;

through Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen.

© 2015 Todd Jenkins