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SYMBOLISM OF A CANDY CANE by Donald J. Barthelmeh from KNIGHT TEMPLAR magazine Vol. 34 No. 12 December 88 No season is so rich in signs and symbols as is Christmastide. We are literally surrounded by beauty, artistry, craftsmanship, and creative ability, as so many visual expressions draw our attention to the birth of Christ. The stars of silver, gold, and shining blue remind us of the new star seen in the east. Every Carol breathes the spirit of angelic voices. Greens of every description remind us of the eternalness of life with God. Our gifts to others imply the greater gift we would offer to the baby Jesus. Of the scenes of Christmas, none is more beautiful than the shepherds on the hillside watching their flocks by night, with crooks in hand, about their humble business of guarding and keeping safe their flocks. From here they receive the announcement, "Unto you is born a Savior." (Luke 2:11 KJV) Then they joined together to go "see the great sight which had come to pass." (Luke 2:15) The shepherd's crook was at the first service of worship of the Christ. Its counterpart is our candy cane - so old as a symbol that we have nearly forgotten its origin. We are immediately attracted by its color - the red and the white. Red is for sacrifice; white is for purity. The body of the cane is white, representing the life that is pure, or that may be pure: "Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God." (Matthew 5:8 RSV) But only in so far as we are pure do men see God; not yonder but here, not then but now, shall we see Him. As you are pure, so shall He be to you. Even as the Christ Child came in all purity, so do we seek the purity of life He brings. Even as the shepherds came in humility and purity of purpose, so is our worship always to be in humbleness before the Lord. The broad red stripe is symbolic of our Lord's sacrifice for us. We may celebrate the birth of a child, Jesus, but we must also be mindful of the man, Christ. Christmas always brings us ultimately to Calvary. We pause to reflect on who we find yonder on Calvary's tree. Just as we take the Christmas tree to mark His birth, so we transpose it into an old rugged cross in Lent to remind us that God "came down at Christmas" to reveal His love and to prove the extent of His love. He gave His life on the cross in sacrifice for our sin. And then the many smaller stripes: these symbolize the sacrifices we must make as Christians, the offerings we would bring to be intertwined with the supreme sacrifice of our Savior. They may mean the wounded sheep He has brought to the fold or the scars of our sorrows, which the Good Shepherd bore for us, or the lesser pains and sufferings we must bear in witness to Him in whom we believe. The form - a staff - suggests a symbol of service: the Savior Shepherd seeking His own with a determination that none shall perish; we fulfilling our purpose as those who He has called to serve even as He came to serve. The form of a staff suggests life is a service, even as the Christian life is a worship. But of course the color and form give way to the aroma of peppermint and its pungent taste. Peppermint is akin to the aromatic herb hyssop; recall the Psalmist's plea (5:17): Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean: Wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow. Old Testament scholars suggest the use of hyssop not only for its delightful taste but also for medicinal purposes. A healing nature is suggested. What better symbolism at Christmas for us, for we are told, "With his stripes we are healed"?(Isaiah 53:5) It is candy, and candy cane is to be shared - broken down into myriad pieces for all to share. It draws us into a fellowship of sharing. How good it is to remind ourselves of Jesus' statement, "This is my body," broken for us. (Matthew 26:26) Just as Jesus' body is broken in order to be shared, just so our lives as good stewards must be shared. We come to realize as children of God and sharers of Christ's life that only as we give shall we receive! Love came down at Christmas, all lovely and divine. Now in the season of Christmas we seek to spread that love among all men. One symbol is the shepherd's crook, made visible in its implications through a candy cane. It calls us to serve; its red bands direct us to a life of sacrifice; its essence of mint relates the tastefulness of those who would share. We are also reminded that our lives might be pure, made white by the sacrifice of our Savior, circling ourselves and spiraling up into lives of love and peace. |
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