Book: The Christmas Candle

Why am I talking about a Christmas book when it’s nearly June? Well, my wife got it from the library and recommended it to me, and I have never really cared when I read seasonal literature, so bear with me for a few moments on this.

I generally don’t like cute little inspirational books. Their sweet stories are just too blatant and obvious, and they don’t do that much for me. In this case there are some exceptions to that rule. Yes, this book is sweet. It’s in a cute binding. It’s not terribly complex.

But there are some profound points. This story invites us to think not only about whether miracles are possible, but how they work as well. It invites us to think about how God can work through the simplest and most subtle of things rather than the most obvious and exciting.

In a village, every 25 years there is a special candle that seems to work miracles for whatever person receives it. In the year of our story there’s a new young pastor who doesn’t want to be there, and believes that all the talk about miracles just raises hopes that are sure to be dashed.

You’ll be surprised by the ending. It was great fun for me.