Imagine, if you will, a war. Let’s just say the wonderful town of Floresville, Texas is being occupied. The invaders won’t allow us practice our faiths anymore. Say they take away our identity. Our local traditions, gone! Perhaps they do something like not allow the beloved Peanut Festival. They take down the giant Peanut statue in front of the courthouse.
Horrible, right?
Now imagine a rebellion against this occupation. Think about overcoming these occupiers, driving them out of Floresville. We would most certainly celebrate, yes? We would most certainly rejoice because we were able to openly practice our faiths again, and hold the best Peanut Festival, ever!
This is basically what happened to the Jewish people and is why the celebration known as Hanukkah was established. Rather than assimilate to their oppressors, the Jews rebelled. A small army of Jews, led by a man called Judah the Maccabee, fought back against the large Syrian-Greek army, reclaiming both Jerusalem and their Holy Temple in 164 BC.
To celebrate this, they lit the lamp in the temple, but found they only had enough oil to keep it alight for a day. Somehow, the lamp stayed lit for eight days.
Therefore Hanukkah, and its miracle of that lamp, are observed by lighting a menorah. One branch, that usually sits above or below the others, holds the candle that is used to light the other eight. One candle is lit each night. By the eighth night, all the candles radiate light.
To my mind, they radiate the light of overcoming.
We are in a time of year sometimes known as the Season of Light. It began with Diwali in November, a five-day festival of light for Hindus, Jains, and Sikhs. Currently Hanukkah is being observed. Soon after this, Christmas, the winter solstice, Kwanzaa, whatever festival observed all have one thing in common – a theme of light.
Just Google “Season of Light.” I promise an online adventure in comparative theology that points to how we are linked by these seasonal lights in one great big Divine concept.
I particularly like this writing I discovered by writer Mirabai Starr; “At the mystical heart of each of the Abrahamic faiths lie teachings about the transformational power of fire and the identification of the Holy One with light. In the Judaism, the Shekhinah -- the indwelling feminine presence of God -- took the form of a pillar of fire at night to lead the Israelites through the desert. In the Christian tradition, God revealed Himself (sometimes as Herself) to the 12th century visionary, Hildegard of Bingen, as The Living Light. In the non-canonical Gospel of Thomas, Christ says that he is "the light that is above them all." In Sufi teaching the highest spiritual state is fana, the annihilation of the separate self in the fire of Divine Love, so that lover and Beloved become One Love.”
As I drove past the lights now lit at the University of the Incarnate Word the other day, I was reminded of the year previous. When I, and I daresay most people, barely dared to dart out for groceries, much less for viewing holiday lights. While I never had any doubts about humanity surviving the COVID 19 pandemic, as an individual I was keenly aware of the scripture from Proverbs 27:1; “Do not boast about tomorrow, for you do not know what a day may bring.” A sentiment I’m sure was share by the Jews rebelling against the Syrian-Greek army. It’s a sentiment that is true regardless of our circumstances, we are simply more keenly aware of it in times of trouble.
Also true, regardless of our circumstances, is this Season of Light that comes around annually with all that Light represents. A reminder that there is more to this life than this life. That “more” aspect is mysterious, unseen, unchanging. There are words we try to wrap around some sort of understanding of the Light, in entirely different religions, and languages. We love this Light so much even wars have been fought over how we understand and express it. An entirely flawed and oh so human reaction. How I hope we have outgrown such a tendency.
Perhaps it would be enough this year to know that this One Light, this One Love, shines regardless of the season. We simply choose to remind ourselves of it this time of year when the days are darker for longer. The Light is how we know, despite appearances otherwise, we are never forsaken or forgotten. We live and move and have our being in a Higher Power and if we chose to, we can be Divinely directed. The Light is, in more of a metaphysical sense rather than a physical sense, how we know - we will always Overcome.
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