a tiny Light

She cradled the white candle between her fingers and studied it's quivering flame. The voices around her filled the sanctuary with an a capella version of Silent Night, and each person held their own flame. She quietly turned her head to notice that even the young children in the rows behind her carefully held a candle and felt it's radiating heat while their parents hovered over them to ensure complete safety. Her mind wondered to the beauty of the moment, and she subconsciously decided to remove her voice from the carol being sung. It was a decision she was not completely satisfied with, for, if she removed her voice, she loved her ability to listen for each voice individually, but if she joined in, she loved the oneness she felt in the large group. There was nothing quite like this moment. It was a moment of tradition. A moment that only happened once a year, on this special night. In addition to the warmth she felt from her candle, she also experienced a warmth brought by the numerous beloved friends and family gathered together on this special night. They were together for a joyous reason. A reason of Hope. A reason of Light.
In the darkness that surrounded them, there was no light except that which each one brought to the room. There was a leader who stood on the platform and held his single candle, but he brought no more light to the room than any of the rest. Each quivering flame celebrated a greater Light. This Light had come into the world as a tiny child born in a lonely manger, but the story hadn't stopped there. The minuscule flame brought to earth in that baby had spread across the earth. It lovingly lit every heart it met, and brought a new illumination to this dark, sinful, world. Even on this night, it continued to bring light into the beloved hearts gathered in this room.
The candle she held reminded her of this fact, and each tiny quivering flame celebrated the tiny flame sent to us in the form of a babe. A babe "Wrapped in swaddling clothes and laying in a manger." For, "The true light that gives light to every man was coming into the world."