S.E.E.D. of Personal Power Reiki A Path to Mastery Presents

I recently recieved a beautiful email from Reiki Master Jim Weaver, of San Jose, California, in which he expressed an idea so beautifully, I asked his permission to share it with those who visit this site.

I think it is an idea that deserves to be shared... and implemented. Let's never forget to "push back the darkness." And those of you who feel drawn to add Reiki energy to the light will increase the blessing for the world.

Thank you, again, Jim.

Date: Mon, 17 Sep 2001
From: James A Weaver
To: serena at seedreiki.reiki.com
Subject: My contribution to the discussion...

Hello everybody. We have all heard (in grisly detail) about the terrorist attacks last week. Most of you probably heard about the "event" on Friday, as well...people were asked to step outside at 7:00pm on Friday and light a candle in memory of the victims and their families. I had an epiphany of sorts, and feel compelled to share it with you. Yes, I really experienced this myself...it isn't one of those things that someone else thought up and forwarded out to all 4000 people in their address book. I actually experienced this myself. So I hope you will read it instead of just deleting it.

Well, at 7 o'clock on Friday, I lit a candle and thought for a few minutes about the lives that have been altered by the attacks. The candle was supposed to be outside (according to my understanding of the email) so I first put it outside the front door. But it wasn't too visible from the street, so I moved it to the top of our patio privacy wall. I let the candle burn for about an hour, and went outside to blow it out. As I leaned down to blow out the flame, the thought occurred that a lit candle has always symbolized a lot of things...a way home in the dark, love of others, and so on. And I thought, "why light a candle on this one occasion? Shouldn't we remember all those who have been victimized, whenever and wherever they have been hurt? The attacks were incredibly devastating, but were they the most terrible events that have ever happened? I don't think so." And then I had one of those rare moments of clarity when you see something from a completely different perspective. And I had an idea. To understand the idea, you need to know some of my thinking...

A candle flame drives back the darkness, just a little bit. It doesn't matter why it is dark. The power could be out. Or you could be having a quiet dinner. Or you could be camping. Or you could be lost and need some help to see the path. Or you could be trying to help someone else find their way home. And if you light enough candles, it isn't dark any more. Candles also serve as visible reminders of those who have been hurt, wherever they may be, helping us to remember what has gone before. They are also a sign of joy (think of Christmas), warmth, and the "family of man".

So every night, starting with last Friday, I have lit a candle at 7:00pm. The candle helps drive back the darkness in the world, just a little. It shows that I remember those who have been hurt. It expresses my joy in life, family, and the what is to come. For me, it symbolizes three things: faith, hope, and charity--faith in the goodness of my fellow man; hope for the future; charity for those who have not been as blessed as I have been. It is a visible sign of my belief that the world is a wonderful place.

Then, there was the idea: If enough people light a candle, we can make the darkness go away. So I'm hoping that each of you will light a candle at 7 o'clock tonight and every night. Reconfirm your faith that there are a lot of good people in the world. Think about what the world would be like if all your hopes could be achieved. And remember those in need. If you feel inclined to think of this as a time of prayer, feel free. If you want to meditate when you light the candle, that's great too. And if all you want to do is just remember my words at 7 o'clock, that's fine. The point is to show the world that there is a lot more "goodness" in the world than most people see.

Now for the last part. Most of you know how much I despise those "forward this in the next 10 minutes" things, and will see a huge amount of irony in this...I hope you will get your own friends to light a candle at 7 o'clock. I believe this is a simple act we can all do each day to help make the world better than it was when we got here. And if enough of us light a candle (I'm speaking figuratively now), we can drive back the darkness to show the beauty that is here in the world today.

No bad things will happen if you don't forward this on...it isn't a chain letter. I can't promise good luck if you do forward it...again, it isn't a chain letter. But if you think it is a good idea, share it with your friends. Please.

Love and light and all good things...

Jim Weaver

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