These last couple weeks have been quite exhausting physically, though this holiday has been a critical part of our family calendar and religious ritual as long as I can remember.
In our case, a Christian holiday, though it overlaps the Jewish "Feast of Dedication." Hanukkah, hebrew for "dedication" is celebrated in reference to the rededication of the Jewish Temple, which is the central story behind the holiday; it's also commonly known as the "Festival of Lights" due to the central tradition of lighting the menorah each night during the celebration.
That awareness is foundational, unless Santa is your only reason for the season!
Respectfully, I am learning more each year of how much parallel exists between Judaism and Christianity. To me personally, the latter is simply a maturation of the former, and in fact all ancient religions.
As I posted earlier, we humans are slow learners, only now grasping the billions of galaxies that our tiny globe and its Milky Way sets within, let alone the necessary journey of bringing ego laden beings to an understanding of the Presence that is responsible for those galaxies!
Currently, my annual reread of scriptures has me back in Genesis, a little ahead of schedule per the New Year.
As I read through the stories of Jacob (Isreal) as well as the individuals within the tribe he birthed, inspiration is evident and seemingly inexhaustible.
If one reads the text with an ear to the Spirit (the Word) there is so much insight into humanity. Yet millennia of time seems necessary as the Bread of Heaven is slowly broken. Each piece a necessary step, an enlightenment toward that aforementioned maturity, again, so necessary for we ego driven humans to eventually grasp the Good News of the Father's intent, the Love of God, the Christ in us!!
The longer I live and the further I observe our religious tendencies toward complicating the Good News, the more guarded I become with my identification as a Christian, let alone American Christian.
With only 22% (Google for yourself) regularly attending church, at least in that once a week way that I still do, it causes me pause.
Compound that with recent deep political alignments among the faithful, be they either party, while others are simply silenced by the moment, this nation once boasting of its Christian roots...well you get my point.
Then the volumes of books now being generated, many of which I read daily, each critiquing the faith or searching for more.
Especially critiqued are long held tenants that refuse to employ new findings. I am reminded of those who in the early days of sputnik (yes, I'm that old) labeled those launches as "fake news" though not in those words.
To read the text of scripture from a big picture perspective, open to the reality that its writers, regardless of their relationship with YHWH, we're far more limited than we.
Then to stubbornly hold to the language of our forefathers (even with modern translations that help) while those with whom we share life will soon spend more time on ChaptGPT than in this Holy Writ, begs our consideration.
As we enter the Third Millennium, adaptation of language will be a necessity if in fact we as Christ followers expect the Good News to be recieved.
That Good News by the way is that none should perish but that all should know eternal life. Eternal life, if as powerful as we boast, should be a now evident, radiant demeanor far moreso than some parroted text absent of love!
That my fellow believers is the challenge I wrestle with daily.
Always enjoy your words of wisdom