Many years ago, a candy maker wanted to make a candy at Christmas time
that would serve as a witness to his Christian faith.
He wanted to incorporate several symbols for the birth, ministry
and death of Jesus. He began with a stick of pure white hard candy;
white to symbolize the Virgin Birth and the sinless nature of Jesus;
hard to symbolize the solid rock, the foundation of the Church;
firmness to represent the promise of God.
The candymaker made the candy in the form of a "J"
to represent the name of Jesus, who came to earth as our Savior.
He thought it could also represent the staff of the Good Shepherd,
with which he reached down into the ditches of the world to lift out
the fallen lambs who, like all sheep, have gone astray.
Thinking that the candy was somewhat plain, the candymaker
stained it with red stripes. He used three small stripes
to show the stripes of the scourging Jesus received,
by which we are healed. The large red stripe was for the
blood shed by Christ on the cross so that we could have the
promise of eternal life. Unfortunately, the candy became known
as a candy cane - a meaningless decoration seen at Christmas time.
But the true meaning is still there for those who have
eyes to see and ears to hear.
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