"Seemingly within minutes of the massacre in Paris," observes Mark Galli at Christianity Today, "people gathered at one place or another, in Paris and in cities across the world. They laid flowers. They prayed. They played "Amazing Grace." They held hands. They displayed the colors of the French flag. They wept. They also lit candles. Lighting candles has become a common public liturgy following terrorist attacks. Even though candles in the West have a distinctly religious aura about them, we find atheists and agnostics lighting them as well. Even in post-Christian, secular France." Galli argues that this penchant to light candles after a tragedy speaks to deep biblical truths—whether people acknowledge those truths or not. Lighting candles shows the power of darkness, the depth of sin in our human condition apart from Christ.

Possible Preaching Angle:

But perhaps lighting candles also points to the light of Christ, the one of whom Scripture tells us the darkness cannot overcome.

Source:

Mark Galli, “The Mystery of Hope in Paris,” Christianity Today (11-16-15)