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Heaven #5008 Citizen of Heaven
Posted June 21st, 2014 by Normand Bo...
Dear Gloria,
in http://www.heavenletters.org/citizen-of-heaven.html
parag. 7
"The world is deceptive, beloveds. The world is a cheat. It would cheat you of your True Identity. The world assesses as it assesses. The world promotes what it promotes. It promotes more, and it promotes less. Of Greatness it professes too little. It makes much of nothing, and that includes gold. The goldenness of soul outshines all the treasures and values of the world. Good looks, vast fortune, all that is valued in the world does light a candle to soul, and to your soul." I don't get the meaning of that sentence with "does light a candle to soul". Is it that the outside world gives a spark of excitement to the soul?
Thanks
Beloved Normand, thanks a
Beloved Normand, thanks a bunch. I believe I left out the word NOT. Let's check:
Good looks, vast fortune, all that is valued in the world does not light a candle to soul, and to your soul.
Does that do it, Normand?
Absolutely!Can you believe
Absolutely!
Can you believe that a simple "not" makes a huge difference. Without this not, I was really scratching my head to find the hidden meaning of that 'candle lit in the soul by the good looks'. But I really had to ask, because you never know...
Absolutely ask! Thank you
Absolutely ask! Thank you for catching this typo. Can't thank you enough!
Normand, I was going to
Normand, I was going to point out that the more usual expression is that something doesn't "hold a candle to" something else. Like the words in question here, it means that something doesn't compare favorably with something else. But then I got to thinking, how could you ever figure out what that meant if you didn't already know? What exactly is involved in holding a candle to something? Is there a corresponding expression in French?
Charles, your comment is
Charles, your comment is very helpful. Indeed, in French, we have two expressions with 'candle' conveying a close meaning to the English expression:
1- the game of acquiring it is not worth the candle : "le jeu ne vaut pas la chandelle"
2- being penny wise and pound foolish: "faire des économies de bout de chandelle"
Both expressions come from the time where there was no electricity. In the theaters and opera houses, representations were depending on the time life of the candles. Texts and music had to be shortened in order to be played while the candles were still lasting.
Normand, we couldn't even be
Normand, we couldn't even be having this immediate conversation on opposite sides of the world if it depended on candle power. I guess you could say that those times don't hold a candle to these, tho some might disagree.
Dear G, what is your take on
Dear G,
what is your take on that?
Dear Normand, I have no take
Dear Normand, I have no take on that. I can't even think!