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Sitaram · Site Admin Joined: 14 Sep 2005 Posts: 1079

Date: Sun Sep 7, 2003 7:37 am
Subject: To Curse the Darkness om_namah_shi...

http://sulekha.com/chpost.asp?for...ilosophy&show=0&cid=71693

It is better to light one candle than to curse the darkness.
-Christopher Society, motto, taken from an old Chinese proverb.

It is a very popular misconception that this saying is from the
Bible, but any Bible search engine will quickly reveal that this is
not the case.

http://www.archatl.com/gabulletin/1979/790426c.html

http://www.umkc.edu/imc/stlucia.htm

The candle is one of the earliest inventions of the ancient world.
Ancient Egyptian tombs at Thebes bear relief carvings of cone-shaped
candles on dish-like holders. The oldest known candle fragment was
found at Vaison, near Avignon, in France and dates from the 1st
century C.E.

http://www.jrf.org/kehillathshalom/december%20page%202.htm

As long as Hanukkah is studied and remembered, Jews will not
surrender to the night. The proper response, as Hanukkah teaches, is
not to curse the darkness but to light a candle. -Rabbi Irving
Greenberg

The candles' importance is not limited to their value as a reminder
of the miracle from the time of the Maccabees. In the tradition, it
is said that "God's candle is the human soul" -

"Ner Hashem, nishmat adam."-Joel Ziff

http://www.geocities.com/CapeCanaveral/Hangar/4264/sagan.html

Before the Preface of his book, Carl Sagan opens the book with a
biblical verse (Isaiah 59:9, "We look for light, but all is
darkness..."). He followed it with the adage "It's better to light
one candle than to curse the darkness."

==========================

Sitaram comments:

St. Seraphim of Sarov was the last Saint to be canonized by the
Russian Orthodox Church in Russia before the Communist Revolution.

My favorite quotation from St. Seraphim is: "Save yourself, and 1000
people around you will be saved."

Various Protestant groups, aggressive in proselytizing and "winning
souls for Christ", have turned St. Seraphim's saying upside down to
read: "Save a thousand people around you, and you shall be saved."

The non-Orthodox criticize the Orthodox Christians as "semi-
pelagian", which simply means that they see works as somehow
necessary in the process of salvation, and do not depend on faith and
grace alone.

http://www.monergism.com/thethreshold/articles/onsite/johncassian.html

Curiously, Krishna says something in the Bhagavad-Gita, which relates
to the dilemma of works and faith.

I cannot locate the exact verse right now in the Gita, but
paraphrasing from memory, it reads:

"Whatever my devotee achieves in this life shall in no wise be lost
(but shall be preserved from life to life), and whatever my devotee
lacks shall be supplemented by My grace."

Here are some other verses from the Gita which stood out for me as I
searched for the above-mentioned verse.

Book III, verse 21: Whatever the best man does, is also done by other
men, what example he sets, the world follows.

Book VI,30-31. He who sees Me everywhere and everything in Me, never
vanishes from Me nor I from him. The yogin who, anchored in unity,
worships Me abiding in all beings, lives and moves in me, no matter
how he live and move.

VII,26. I know, O Arjuna, all creatures past, present and to be; but
no one knows Me.

IX, 19. I give heat; I hold back and pour forth rain; I am
deathlessness and also death. O Arjuna, Being and not-Being as well.

X,11. Out of every compassion for them, I who dwell in their hearts,
destroy the darkness, born of ignorance, with the refulgent lamp of
knowledge.

XI,8. But thou canst not see Me with these thine own eyes. I give
thee the eye divine; behold My sovereign power!
21. Here, too, the multitudes of gods are seen to enter Thee; some
awe-struck praise Thee with folded arms; the hosts of great seers and
siddhas, `All Hail' on their lips, hymn Thee with songs of praise.

The Gita Beatitudes (Krishna's Sermon on the Mount)

XII, 13-20
13. Who has ill-will towards none, who is friendly and compassionate,
who has shed all thought of `mine' or `I', who regards pain and
pleasure alike, who is long-suffering;

14. Who is ever content, gifted with yoga, self-restrained, of firm
conviction, who has dedicated his mind and reason to Me-that devotee
(bhakta) of Mine is dear to Me.

15. Who gives no trouble to the world, to whom the world causes no
trouble, who is free from exultation, resentment, fear and vexation,-
that man is dear to Me.

16. Who expects naught, who is pure, resourceful, unconcerned,
untroubled, who indulges in no undertakings,-that devotee of Mine is
dear to Me.

17. Who rejoices not, neither frets nor grieves, who covets not, who
abandons both good and ill-that devotee of Mine is dear to Me.

18. Who is same to foe and friend, who regards alike respect and
disrespect, cold and heat, pleasure and pain, who is free from
attachment;

19. Who weighs in equal scale blame and praise, who is silent,
content with whatever his lot, who owns no home, who is of steady
mind,-that devotee of Mine is dear to Me.

20. They who follow this essence of dharma, as I have told it, with
faith, keeping Me as their goal,-those devotees are exceeding dear to
Me.

XVII,3. The faith of every man is in accord with his innate
character; man is made up of faith; whatever his object of faith,
even so is he.

XIV,27. For I am the very image of Brahman, changeless and deathless,
as also of everlasting dharma and perfect bliss.

XVII,3. The faith of every man is in accord with his innate
character; man is made up of faith; whatever his object of faith,
even so is he.

VI,6. His Self alone is friend, who has conquered himself by his
Self: but to him who has not conquered himself and is thus inimical
to himself, even his Self behaves as foe.

XIII,30. When he sees the diversity of beings as founded in unity and
the whole expanse issuing therefrom, then he attains to Brahman.

XIV,11. When the light-knowledge-shines forth from al the gates of
this body, then it may be known that the sattva thrives.

XVIII,60. What thou wilt not do, O Kaunteya, because of thy delusion,
thou shalt do, even against thy will, bound as thou art by the duty
to which thou art born.

============================================

Sitaram continues:

St. Seraphim's words remind us of Christ's metaphor of the lighted
candle under the bushel basket.

Matthew 5:14-16 "You are the light of the world. A city built on a
hill cannot be hid. No one after lighting a lamp puts it under the
bushel basket, but on the lampstand, and it gives light to all in the
house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that
they may see your good works and give glory to your Father in heaven.

I recently heard someone laugh and say, "If you were accused of being
a Christian, would there be enough evidence to convict you?"

The evidence is our works, the way we live our lives.

A popular saying among preachers these days is, "If you want to talk
the talk, you gotta walk the walk."

It occurs to me that, if God became man as Christ, to show man how to
find salvation, and if salvation by grace alone, without works, were
the essential doctrine, then surely Christ would have looked to grace
alone as an answer, and would have distained to have been called "the
sinless one" and "the blameless".

Furthermore, if works and free will choice ARE of no avail, and GRACE
is everything, then why do evangelists seek to CONVERT others, since
obviously, it is only through their free-will CHOICE that they are
persuaded to confess Christ, and such choice is tantamount to works,
it is an action which, if we choose to perform, then we are "saved".
If GRACE were truly what Lutheran doctrine claims it to be, then why
would it not be offered IRRESISTABLY to all creation, regardless of
their free-will choice or works?

http://www.churchesofchrist.net/authors/Grady_Scott/Acts26.htm

In Acts, Chapter 26, St. Paul strives to persuade the governor
Agrippa, and Agrippa admits that he is ALMOST convinced to become a
Christian.

Acts 26:24-29- "Now as he thus made his defense, Festus said with a
loud voice, "Paul, you are beside yourself! Much learning is driving
you mad!" {25} But he said, "I am not mad, most noble Festus, but
speak the words of truth and reason. {26} "For the king, before whom
I also speak freely, knows these things; for I am convinced that none
of these things escapes his attention, since this thing was not done
in a corner. {27} "King Agrippa, do you believe the prophets? I know
that you do believe." {28} Then Agrippa said to Paul, "You almost
persuade me to become a Christian." {29} And Paul said, "I would to
God that not only you, but also all who hear me today, might become
both almost and altogether such as I am, except for these chains.""

Obviously, a profession of faith is the one WORK, a free will choice
of action, which opens the door to salvation by GRACE.

The Lord then inquired: "Who do you say that I am?" Peter
responded: "You are the Christ, the Son of the Living God." Jesus
commended the apostle. The Savior then declared: "[F]lesh and blood
hath not revealed it unto you, but my Father who is in heaven" (Mt.
16:17).

Is not Christ obviously saying in this passage that it is not
possible for another human being to "bring someone" to Christ.

Faith is a gift.

So what purpose do missionaries serve?

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