Lamplighter for God and for the Constitution

By Harold Witkov

I recently attended a Jewish Chasidic funeral and a new concept came my way that I have begun to embrace. During the eulogy, the presiding rabbi referred to the deceased, a lifelong acquaintance of mine, as a "lamplighter."

A great soul is one who follows the commandments, studies the holy books, and does good deeds. His disciplined life ignites the flame of God's presence within. A lamplighter goes one-step better. Having ignited the flame of God's presence within, like a lamplighter of old who went from lamp to lamp kindling each, a lamplighter for God takes the flame of God's presence and kindles it in others.

Although I have made some progress in my life's spiritual journey, I admit I have a long way to go to be a lamplighter for God. Still, I find the lamplighter for God concept an inspiration and a renewed desire now burns within me towards that end.

There is another kind of lamplighter I also plan on working towards, and that is lamplighter for the American idea and Constitution. This too will take discipline and study.

Although I have already made much progress, I still have a long way to go in this pursuit. I need to better study my American history. Reading about our Founding Fathers and their core beliefs is not enough. I need to study their quotations, memoirs, and correspondences. Finally, that pocket size copy of the Constitution on my bed stand needs rereading. Eventually, I hope to easily quote it and defend it, and the men who made it happen.

This Tuesday is Election Day. There is going to be a ballot box battle and, in many ways, the very soul of our country is at stake. When I vote, I am going to be thinking about God and voting for what I believe is best for the world and our nation. I am going to vote for those candidates whose philosophy resonates most with the vision of the Founding Fathers and the Constitution.

Afterward, I am going to get back to working on my two lamplighter resolutions.

© Harold Witkov