I've been thinking about...

...the Pink Candle on the Advent Wreath.

Two weeks ago I was asked, “Why is there one pink candle in the Advent Wreath?” I stuttered and stammered through an answer (in the process, mistaking the third Sunday as the Day of Love, not the Day of Joy!) before finally concluding, “That said, I don’t really know.”
I’ve been researching it since then and I’m proud to announce that I’m not the only one who goofs up an answer! Everybody has a different thought on this one and most have no idea!

The tradition itself is a Germanic one, and seems to be a pre-Christian one that early followers of Christ adopted and transformed. As such, the green of the wreath came to symbolize the eternal nature of God. The purple candles signify the royalty of Christ as well our own penitence in preparing for the coming of Jesus. And the pink signifies joy...or as it turns out, love! (Some churches light the pink candle on the third Sunday to symbolize joy, some of the fourth to symbolize love, go figure.).

Confused yet? Just wait!

There is some story about how the Pope used to give out a pink rose on the third Sunday of Lent and somehow that tradition was transposed to an Advent candle. I’m not sure I buy it. Which brings me to my least favorite answer for any question, “Why do we do it? Because we’ve always done it that way.”

This church has the tradition of lighting a pink candle on the Third Sunday of Advent, the Day of Joy when we rejoice at God’s promises that have been fulfilled and the blessings that we know are to come. That’s what we’ll do today.

Oh, and in case this isn’t confusing enough, the Pope has been using four red candles in his wreath for years. So go figure!

Yours in the journey, Rev. Brian