becoming a self in history, becoming a self in my street

Matias Linder

This is something that I experienced when having one of our meetings for worship with the Quakers in Sweden: On our first or second meeting for worship, I stared at the candle in the middle of the room before I closed my eyes. Then, without my consciously guiding it, a whole experience and vision unfolded. I saw the candle burning in my heart; it was a fire, the burning of will for peace, love and all the positive things that I want for the world. But then I realised that if I did not manage to move that fire or will to the outside part of my body, perhaps by expressing that will and making it visible to the outer world, that same fire in my heart could burn me. I needed to get the fire outside, to my outer skin. Once I could do this, the fire would not burn me anymore. More than a fire, it was something enlightening. I could touch people in such way that they would feel inspired, in such way that it could ignite the fire within them. And then, they themselves could go on touching other people, inspiring them and igniting the fire within them…