Martinmas

Tonight our school is celebrating the Feast of Saint Martin, or Martinmas. The Nursery-Kindergarteners, first and second graders have spent all week making lanterns in preparation for their walk tonight.

The school is about 5 miles out of town, so when I flip all the breakers this evening, the grounds will be very, very dark. The children will be led through the woods, their lanterns held high. At the end of their walk they will encounter a roman soldier atop a white stallion, and a beggar, pleading for the soldier’s cloak. The solider slashes his cloak, giving one half to the beggar.

Guess who gets to be the beggar? ;)

It’s a Christian tale, but the story could just as easily be Hindu, Muslim, or any of the other world traditions. What is important is the example of selfless giving, and the experience of following your personal “light.” Even in the dark times of the soul, or so we would like to believe, every human has an inner guide lighting the way. Too often I choose to ignore mine, but it’s there, whether I look for it or not. A candle in the darkness, an innate sense of justice.

So, if you’re in the Colorado Rockies tonight and you come across a beggar on the roadside, think of me as you’re passing by. ;)