for Candlemas 'Service of Light' for the City, 2 Feb 2014 - by the Revd Penny Jones
In our world we value those whose intelligence and use of logic enables scientific discovery and human advancement. But rationality is not enough on its own. We all know that there are levels of intuition and spirituality that also advance our understanding of the world. Prophets and mystics are those who perceive truth not with their intellect but with their imagination. Tonight on this feast of Candlemas our tradition directs us to re-imagine the poignant story of the presentation of Jesus in the temple. In this story we have a prophet, Simeon, who foresees what the consequences of Jesus life will be, both personally and at the level of community. We also have a mystic, Anna, who has been a celibate widow devoted to the life of prayer for something like sixty years. Each of them sees the infant Jesus for who he really is and rejoices with a joy that reaches down the centuries to this gathering tonight...
In our world we value those whose intelligence and use of logic enables scientific discovery and human advancement. But rationality is not enough on its own. We all know that there are levels of intuition and spirituality that also advance our understanding of the world. Prophets and mystics are those who perceive truth not with their intellect but with their imagination. Tonight on this feast of Candlemas our tradition directs us to re-imagine the poignant story of the presentation of Jesus in the temple. In this story we have a prophet, Simeon, who foresees what the consequences of Jesus life will be, both personally and at the level of community. We also have a mystic, Anna, who has been a celibate widow devoted to the life of prayer for something like sixty years. Each of them sees the infant Jesus for who he really is and rejoices with a joy that reaches down the centuries to this gathering tonight...
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