by May A. Brueckner

The Bible speaks clearly of the candle’s function during Christ’s time on earth. For example, Matthew 5:14 highlights the purpose of an actual ancient “vessel of light" from Jesus’s words: “Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead, they put it on a stand, and gives light to everyone in the house.” NIV Bible footnotes reveal, “in Jesus’s day, people used small clay lamps that burned olive oil drawn up by the wick.” This made for a perfect logo for Vessels of Light, a literary journal set on carrying light into all the world, with an active flame flowing out from the top.

However, the Lord had more in mind.

As graphic designer, May Brueckner, showed me several sketches to choose from, one of them was directly inspired by The Parable of the Ten Virgins, “the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps”- Matthew 25:4, KJV). Imagine a woman in her robe, holding the ancient vessel in front of her, to guide her path. I looked at it, and then it clicked. It felt fitting to simply keep the hand and the vessel. Oh my. There it was, God’s hand.

That week, I kept returning to that image of the vessel in Christ’s pierced hand and after meditating on the mighty hand of the Lord who carries us as we carry our light, God was reminding me how He was carrying not only this literary journal, but me, you, every piece of writing, the entire world. Suddenly, it made perfect sense, words fell short for the outcome, and the logo was finally complete.

So, yes, while the message here is ultimately being a vessel of light, my prayer is that this visual symbol would always serve as a reminder that it is the Light who carries us so we can carry ours in everything we do, say, and of course, write.

Keep Burning Brightly,

Alexis Leigh Ragan

Founder and Editor-In-Chief