Watching the insects of the night flit around the porch lights had kept the toddlers occupied in the late evening. With a sudden power outage their curiosity grew as they watched the same happen with the candle. The run towards the light and the backing away once when one gets too close to the source. The constant movement keeps the interest of the keen observers alive. What resonates through the mind while being an avid spectator of the scene is the similarity with John Bunyan’s “The fly at the Candle”. Are we like the fly that gets burned by the glory of the World or is the light source that akin to the Words of the Gospel.
“Long is the way and hard, that out of Hell leads up to light.” John Milton (in Paradise Lost)
As one runs over the pages, the light can always be of the good kind or the bad type. Like the porch lights that offer the attraction of the light but cause no injury to the little insects as they land on them, the light doesn’t harm but offer light through the darkness. While the candle, if one gets too close can burn when directions and steadiness is at fault. While Bunyan had focused on the candle as the Gospel had brought shame to those who lived far from His Words, what resonates through the thoughts is that “light” is always of many types.
One is surrounded by the bright lifts, dim ones, gray ones and coloured ones. Each of them have their own view changing points and features. Each light has their own appeal, aura and wonders around it. Discernment is what brings one to focus in the right kind of light. Add to it, own perception, conscience and innate principles; the beauty of the light can be experienced at the best. Light indeed dispels the darkness. But the point is to see that this light benefits one to live the gift of the life as per His Will, the right principles and own contentment as well as happiness; for that is where the difference between the darkness around or within is dealt by the light.
“Happiness is always there. You just have to choose to see it. There’s no point dwelling in the dark and ignoring the light of the stars.” Carrie Hope Fletcher
The Fly at the Candle
What ails this fly thus desperately to enter
A combat with the candle? Will she venture
To clash at light? Away, thou silly fly;
Thus doing thou wilt burn thy wings and die.
But ’tis a folly her advice to give,
She’ll kill the candle, or she will not live.
Slap, says she, at it; then she makes retreat,
So wheels about, and doth her blows repeat.
Nor doth the candle let her quite escape,
But gives some little check unto the ape:
Throws up her heels it doth, so down she falls,
Where she lies sprawling, and for succour calls.
When she recovers, up she gets again,
And at the candle comes with might and main,
But now behold, the candle takes the fly,
And holds her, till she doth by burning die.
Comparison.
This candle is an emblem of that light
Our gospel gives in this our darksome night.
The fly a lively picture is of those
That hate and do this gospel light oppose.
At last the gospel doth become their snare,
Doth them with burning hands in pieces tear.
– John Bunyan
Sugar And Spice... Among Other Things 