The Song for Christingle was written with a very specific purpose in mind. The Christingle is a wonderful service, especially suited for children and families at Christmastime. It’s a beautiful blend of craft, food, fun, and deep truth.

In a typical Christingle service, everyone makes their own Christingle: an orange representing the world, a red ribbon tied around it symbolising the blood of Christ, cocktail sticks bearing fruit or sweets to remind us of God’s good creation, and a candle placed on top to show that Jesus is the Light of the World.

The song was written to be sung as the children process in with their Christingles, those little glowing lights in hand, a moment of joy and beauty, filled with meaning. It helps tell the heart of the Christmas story in a way that children can see, touch, and sing.

The words of the song trace that symbolism:

“Why then is the world we made,
Wrapped around with ribbon red,
Red is for the ransom paid
When our Lord was crucified.”

In this way, the Christingle, and the song that accompanies it, reminds us that the story of Christmas looks forward to the purpose of Christ’s coming. The baby born in Bethlehem would one day give His life for the world He came to save.

So Song for Christingle isn’t just about candles and oranges; it’s a way of helping children (and adults too) understand that the light shining in the darkness points us to the love of God shown on the cross.