I Will Light Candles This Christmas

I will light candles this Christmas,

Candles of joy despite all the sadness,

Candles of hope where despair keeps watch,

Candles of courage for fears ever present,

Candles of peace for tempest-tossed days,

Candles of grace to ease heavy burdens,

Candles of love to inspire all my living,

Candles that will burn all year long.

Howard Thurman – The Mood of Christmas, 1973

Howard Thurman (November 18, 1899 – April 10, 1981) was an American theologian, educator, and civil rights leader. As a prominent religious figure, he played a leading role in many social justice movements of the twentieth century. He was the author of many books including Jesus and the Disinherited, 1949.