2024 Winter Lights

A group of people gathered in a large indoor space, holding candles, participating in a candlelight vigil or ceremony.

Of God and Me | Isabel Horne

I woke up this morning a lamp,

as I usually do.

My soul has come back from another place.

My light flickers with my lungs as they breathe and my mouth as I speak and my eyes as I close them to pray.

I feel a strange kinship with the rising sun.

The sun. Our star. Our perpetual flame,

barely different from the lamp

all it lacks is the cage.

Remove mine hold up the flame and tell me

against the sky do we not look the same.

I’ll tell you a story, if you don’t already know.

That if you go to Babylon on the right day

you might meet an angel in the right cave.

they might teach you god’s

most sacred name.

And if you say the most sacred name

your lamp will become nothing but flame.

And you will wake up away so far

you will wake up as one of the stars.

And on the occasion I do not wake up a lamp.

I have been know to be a raindrop

falling fast afraid from the sky

I land on rivers rushing by

I make way to a stream

join in a creek

all on my way inevitably

back home to the great big sea.

Because what is the difference between rain drop and water?

What is the difference between me and a Heavenly Father?

My soul bubbles up in my body

like sea foam on sand.

And though you cannot have sea foam without the land,

you wouldn’t say it is of the beach.

It’s sea foam by name, it’s of the sea.

I am of God, without him there’s no me.

And on the very worst days I wake up a mirror.

Typically coated with layers of rust.

And when this happens I know that I must

find my way to my knees to pray

and ask forgiveness and give thanks for the day.

so that when I walk out my door I’ll blind

anyone who happens to be walking by.

There is so much good in the world to give

I could reflect it all and as long as I live

give only to others what god gave to me.

And it would be enough for all of man to be happy.

Children standing on stage in a church or auditorium with wooden paneling, candles, and a cross, during a performance or presentation.
A person with a patterned sleeve is lighting a candle on a menorah during Hanukkah celebration. The menorah sits on a table with some documents, a box of Chanuka candles, and a small pack of matches. Behind the table, there is a lamp and a group of people in the background, in a dimly lit room.
A person playing a grand piano with sheet music and a hymn book on the Music stand, on a wooden floor.
A group of people on stage during a graduation or award ceremony inside a church or auditorium, with an organ and candles in the background. A woman with a sash is receiving a certificate while others stand nearby.

Winter Lights

Interfaith Atlanta welcomes you to our annual Winter Lights Program, an interfaith celebration of the many ways faith communities understand and celebrate light. Join us for an evening of fellowship, art, and learning, followed by an opportunity to connect with local interfaith organizations. We look forward to celebrating the season with you as we gather in the spirit of light, hope, and community.

We will be collecting food donations during the event this year for Emory’s Eagle Food Pantry, a food bank for students and families of students suffering food insecurity. Please bring any canned or other non-perishable food items to be collected on the night of the event.

The event will be held at Emory University’s Canon Chapel, 515 South Kilgo Cir NE, Atlanta, GA 30322 on December 12th from 4-6 pm.

Learn more and register here!

2025 Winter Lights

“A takeaway I have from this incredible, ongoing experience is that sometimes, different ideas cannot coexist, but the people who hold them always can. Sometimes, what I hold to be true is just not true for you and I cannot make it true for you. And not only is that OK, but also, we can both exist in that and commune together even if we disagree.” - Gwyneth F.

“IAY helped me view my Sikh faith in a more active way because I was able to truly apply the teachings, not only to myself, but to how I see and treat people from all walks of life.” - Arjun S.

People gathered in a multi-level indoor space, standing in lines and holding candles during a ceremony or vigil, decorated with holiday garlands and candles on tables.
A group of people gathered in a room, possibly attending a ceremony or gathering. There is a grand piano and a drum set in the foreground. Some individuals are holding candles and papers, and a few are speaking or preparing to speak. The room has wooden floors, large windows with blinds, and a staircase decorated with greenery and blue ribbons.
A panel discussion taking place on a wooden stage in a large room with wooden paneling. Two women are seated and speaking into microphones, while a man in a turban is sitting and listening. Several audience members are watching, some with notebooks or papers.
Indoor scene at the Interfaith Atlanta Winter Lights Festival, showing an audience seated in rows watching a performance. Musicians, including a pianist and vocalist, are on stage. A large screen displays the festival's name and themes of respect, dialogue, and awareness.
People gathered inside a church or auditorium listening to a woman speaking at a podium, with a digital screen displaying lyrics or text related to building the world from love.
A woman is speaking at a podium in a large wooden room filled with seated audience members, with a candle on a stand behind her and a grand piano to the right.