Sunday Musings - November 28, 2021
Welcome to Advent and Hanukkah
Advent for Christians is a time of looking forward to the anniversary of the date set aside to celebrate the birth of Jesus and his radical teachings. It is also a time to look forward to what many Christians believe is the second coming to “judge the quick and the dead” to bring believers home.
Hanukkah is the celebration of what is now called the Festival of Lights. It is a time to celebrate the story of the victory of a small group of rebels (the Maccabees) over the Syria army in 165 B.C.E. It is a time when the light of joy, family, and more recently the sharing of charitable donation and a commitment to tikkun olam (overcoming all forms of idolatry and for some Reform Judaism as an aspiration to behave constructively and beneficially.) is celebrated. This year Hanukkah lasts from November 28 to December 6.
Light is often a metaphor for truth, love, kindness, and respect. It is the overcoming of the fear that we humans are unworthy or that we have to earn love and worthiness. It is the overcoming of our displacement of fear onto other people, places, things, groups and countries. In the Christian tradition the teachings of Jesus proclaim a new acceptance of humans as we are - the concept of Grace or unconditional love which does not have to be earned or begged for. It is the letting go of judgment - of thinking that one has a system by which one can accurately measure and rank order shortcomings and the ways we hurt ourselves, each other and Mother Earth.
For some Jews, Hanukkah and other Jewish celebrations were demonstrated by the immediate forgiveness of a shooter by the Rabbi and other members of the temple in Pittsburgh following a terrible shooting. It is demonstrated by those Jews who are determined to make peace and share land and other resources with the Palestinians. For some Jews victory means victory over one’s anger, desire for revenge or punishment of those they have labeled as enemies. For others victory may mean protecting their homeland by any means available. Almost universally it is a time for the gift of family.
Likewise, for some Christians, the teaching of Jesus is demonstrated by the forgiveness of the shooter by the church members at the A.M.E. Church in Charleston, S.C. For some, it is the teaching of those such as Father Greg Boyle who believes that pain drives every so-called bad behavior. For some it is following the example of Jesus who did not judge or withhold love from the prostitute and who embraced the humaneness of the motley crew of disciples. It is the leading the way towards what some Buddhists would suggest is letting go of the temptation of dualities - labeling as good/bad, right/wrong, worthy/unworthy. It is the courage of folks such as Bryan Stevenson and others who call for a different understanding of Justice in this country; to quit incarcerating the mentally ill - all those who are unable, for whatever reason, to consider the needs of others. It is the call to let go of the temporary, addictive like feeling of satisfaction when we sentence another to punishment or even death.
The challenge for me in this year of 2021 is to notice and let go of judgment and other behavior which leads to darkness; behavior which dishonors the teachings of Jesus; behavior which redefines victory as the courage of non-violence; that proclaims as does Bigger Thomas in Richard Wright’s book, Native Son, “You can’t do nothin but kill me and that ain’t nothin.”
Happy Hanukkah. Happy Advent. May we embrace the light and, thus, the courage to strive for long term victory over our mistreatment of each other and Mother Earth.
Witten November 28, 2021
Jimmy F Pickett
Coachpickett.org
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