One Candle

From Vladimir Megre's appearance at the third annual International "Ringing Cedars" Festival
(translated by Susan Downing)

 

A group of people was walking along. And they came to an abyss. They couldn’t turn back — behind them was a raging torrent of water.  Before them — an abyss. And an angel came down to them from Heaven and said:

“I will save you. I will now turn into a hot air balloon with a basket. You can all get into it, and I will carry you across this abyss. All I ask of you is this: if my strength gives out, then each of you must light a candle or a lighter, in order to warm the air in the balloon, so it can continue its flight.”

The people got in, and each of them took one of these lighters. And the hot air balloon took flight. It still had a tiny distance to fly to cross the abyss, when the angel began losing strength, and he said:

“Please, light the candle I gave you.”

And the people stood up and lit their candles. But one person remained sitting in the corner, just warming his hands with the lighted candle the angel had given him.

The balloon needed the flame of but one more candle to be able to continue its flight and carry all the people away. And the balloon stayed where it was. 

Here’s what happened when even just one person was unable to comprehend, unable to light the candle — the energy — given to him.