Hanukkah
Disclaimer: The contents of this website are mine personally and do not reflect any position of the U.S. government or the Peace Corps.

I woke up this morning to a dark gray sky and little light in my room although it was almost nine o'clock. I thought, Oh if it's going to be this dark out all day why even get out of bed? But I did, and now I have a pale blue sky and some sunlight coming in through the windows. Enough that I don't yet have to turn the lights on. When evening comes I'll probably turn on the lights and light the candles I bought yesterday. Winter is the time of year when I enjoy having some candles going. It's cheering.

While feeling thankful for the sunlight I remembered my dream last night. I dreamt I was back in high school choir and the director was passing out the music for the holiday concert and I was begging him to sing the Hanukkah song we sang in fourth grade. I still remember that song though i don't remember any other specific song from that concert n fourth grade - we probably sang Jingle Bells and We Wish You a Merry Christmas but I can't be sure. I just remember the Hanukkah song was my favorite song that year, but I didn't know until my dream the other night that I remembered all the words.

It's a beautiful song about remembering and honoring, and about a miracle and tradition. It's probably not a traditional song - someone probably wrote it so fourth graders could sing it at holiday concerts, but it made an impression on me all the same. (I considered posting the words here but this is too long so if you want to know them you should email me.)

Two years ago I was introduced to the notion that Hanukkah is part of Christian tradition because the early Christians were Jewish. Old testament traditions are part of Christian history and heritage. I really liked that idea of emphasizing the connection between the old traditions and the new, of honoring the ancestors. It's much more appealing that the us vs. them take on it and people (please!) feeling persecuted by the phrase "Happy Holidays" - which by the way includes Thanksgiving and New Year.

Is there anything stopping someone who is not of Christian faith from finding the Hallieujah Chorus beautiful? Or even from singing "We Wish You a Merry Christmas" with vigor if Christmas isn't something they themselves celbrate? No. And there's nothing stopping Christians from seeing the beauty of Hanukkah, the Celebration of Lights. But more than that in this dark time of the year I want to join in the celebration and remember and honor the traditions of long ago before Jesus was born. Thinking about the world Jesus was born into, thinking about light in a time of darkness, thinking about miracles and traditons all comes together in what the holiday season really means: hope.

Recently a friend of mine said on her blog that Mitt Romney made a speech where he said only someone who believes in Jesus is qualified to be President. I, of course, know nothing of this because with no Daily Show, I get no news.(The Daily show itself could be back on for weeks before I'd even know about it) But maybe what Romney should have said only someone who follows the teachings of Jesus is qualified to be President regardless of what he or she believes.

Is Benjamin Franklin a less valued statesman in American history because he once wrote "As to Jesus of Nazareth, I think the system of morals and his religion as he left them to us are the best the world ever saw or is likely to see, but I have some doubts as to his divinity." ?

In the discussion of a Religious Test one might have to pass to be a contender to the office of the Presidency, I would refer you to the West Wing on this matter, but my friend more rightly linked to her blog President Kennedy making an address in Houston in 1960 when the issue of whether or not a Catholic could govern as President was raised during that election. I would urge you to watch Kennedy's speech as he makes the point that if a good statesman can not be elected because he is Protestant or Catholic or Jewish, than the loss belongs to the entire country; because it is a country of Jews and Catholics an Protestents who expect equal and fair treatment from their government, the government of a free country which allows all the freedom to choose their faith or choose not to have faith.

I think when we talk about freedom people are too quick to become selfish about MY freedom. MY FREEDOM to hear people say Merry Christmas when I go to Wal-Mart and not to have to hear something else. MY FREEDOM to celebrate Christmas. But the freedom to celebrate Christmas or not celebrate it is also the freedom to hear songs about other faiths and recognize their beauty. Because you have the FREEDOM to choose your own faith and decide for yourself. You have the FREEDOM not to be censored in your thoughts or in your appreciations of the music, art and poetry of other faiths.

MY FREEDOM allows me wish you all a Happy Hanukkah whether you celebrate it or not without fear that the religious police will come after me for saying something that doesn't fit with the majority status quo - and what you do with my earnest good wishes for miracles and tradition and light in your life - is up to you.

I wish you all light in this season of the year. I wish you hope and success in the new year. I wish you love and happiness and family and friends to celebrate life with - however you choose to celebrate it. And I wish you the continued freedom to find faith and beauty where ever you find it.

And my hope is that in 2008 more people will be willing to freely come together as brothers and sisters of many faiths and celebrate light.