DEEPAVALI
“I have come
as Light into the world, so that everyone who believes in me should not remain
in the darkness.” (Gospel of St. John, 12, 46)
“Deepavali”
is a Sanskrit word meaning “rows of light”. Whatever the mythological origins
of the festival in terms of Ram or Mahavir or Maharishi Dayanand, for us
Christians in India the festival takes us to the origin of all brightness, the
Lord of the universe, the conqueror of darkness and evil, Jesus Christ, the
Light ! With our Hindu brothers and sisters we celebrate the festival of
lights, and pray for them and one another that we may be a light to all
nations. May Christ, the world’s true light that no darkness can quench,
illumine the way to the Kingdom of love, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. May
the light of Christ make our bodies into beacons of hope.
The
discovery of fire by prehistoric man must have marked an onward and upward stage
in human existence. Imagine the high
excitement as one of the ancestors ran screaming through the village settlement
holding aloft a burning torch while the others stood dumbfounded fascinated.
That was a celebration, indeed, and there was nothing artificial about it. Over
the millennia, light has become the symbol of education, enlightenment and
festivity. All nations celebrate light in one way or another. In Denmark, for
instance, the girls wear a special crown fitted with candles to usher in
Yuletide. We Indians keep up Deepavali. However, as Christians we do not
worship the symbol as such. We rather think the symbol as an occasion to
worship the reality. We meditate the light in order to contemplate God, that
is, in order to enter into his life and be involved in his work.
Our
Lord Jesus has often pointed to himself in very piercing ways: “I am the
Resurrection and the Life.” “I am the Good shepherd.” “I am the Bread of Life.”
“I am before Abraham ever was.” “I am the Light of the world.” This last title
he has shared with us: “You are the light of the world. So let your light
shine.” This was his way of telling us how much he wants us to identify with
him so that we may illumine the world with his light.
We
must first then humanise all Indian festivals. For instance, we must see that
they are not occasions for extortion, threats of barbarism, group violence, and
excessive and untimely noise. They should rather be events of happiness and
sharing with the needy. Then we must work towards that day when every festival
will lead to its fulfilment in Jesus Christ. For instance, the festival of
water must flow into the water springing up into everlasting life. The festival
of sound must give ear to the sound of the Gospel. The harvest festival will be
gathered up to the hundredfold of the Messianic promise. And the festival of
lights must be enkindled by the new flame of the Paschal Vigil.
More
than light, Jesus is fire and conflagration. “I have come to cast fire upon
this earth, and what will I but that it should be burning.” The most powerful
manmade nuclear flash is but a puny candle before the fire of the Divine Lover.
Then we shall walk with him and feel this fire within. We shall walk the way of
duty and the Cross. We shall walk like the two disciples making for Emmaus, and
our hearts shall burn with a unique fire when he opens and explains his word to
us; for his word is our true light.
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