Let there be Light!!!!!!

Top of the weekend my friends!! Let there be Light!! So what does that phrase mean to you?

“Light” could mean “electromagnetic radiation that can be perceived by the human eye”.

I take it that wasn’t your first impression? How about to make things visible? As in enlightenment? Better yet, the expression of that “light” in someone's eyes? Indicating a particular uplifting in emotion or moods. You know “let your little light shine”!!? Just to name a few.

Again “How do you view it”?? In the beginning, God said “Let there be light and there was light and the light was good”!!!? South African theologian Desmond Tutu put it this way “Hope is being able to see that there is light despite all of the darkness”! I hope I’m not making light of this matter.

Hopefully this holiday season will bring you a googolplex of luminescence. Sing it! This little light of mine, I’m gonna let it shine!! It does curse the darkness you know? Keep reading…..

It is the season of good cheer! There will be gifts and countless celebrations between family, friends and coworkers. It “can” truly be the most wonderful time of the year!! Do you know why? We celebrate the light of the world!!? Hold that thought……

Light marries the spiritual with the divine and creates an illumination of intelligence! On that note, this year’s season will once again bring two distant cousins together. The point of view of these two cultures is somewhat different. And our poetry of life marriage has some real cultural challenges. Yet I’ll say it again…. Let there be Light!!

Here’s why both will celebrate the miracle!! Both will focus on the “light”! Both will hold clear distinctions in this interesting faith conundrum. Add this remarkable coincidence doesn’t align itself together very often.

The reason being these two dates don’t randomly align. Reason being because the Jewish and Gregorian calendars don't align. Duh? Hanukkah and Christmas Eve or Christmas Day overlap about once every 15 years.

This year “2024” is one of those years! Since 1900, there have been five years that the first night of Hanukkah began on Christmas Day: 2024, 2005, 1959, 1921 and 1910!? Let there be light!

History lesson - What is Chanukah? It’s an eight-day Jewish festival that commemorates the rededication of the Second Temple in Jerusalem.? Following the Jewish expulsion to Babylon and the Maccabean revolt against the Seleucid Empire. This spiritual victory celebrates the rededication of the Temple in Jerusalem. There was only enough “pure oil” found amid the Temple ruins to kindle the menorah for one day. Yet supernaturally it lasted for eight days.?What a endearing moment of Adonai’s miracle provision of light!

Wait there’s more! “Christmas” or Christ-mass so named by the Roman Catholic Church to recognize that Jesus is the Messiah! For the record no one knows the exact date the virgin Mary gave birth (Isaiah 7:14)? Yet we do know the location and prophecy is fact!!

Roman Emperor Constantine made December 25, 336 AD as the day to celebrate the birth of Christ. Also making Christianity the religion of the empire. Now according to the Isaiah prophecies in chapters 52:11 to 53:12 we do know 700 years later the arrival of Messiah aka Mashiach “the Light of World” is fact! Let there be Light!!

Honoring both traditions, we close with two noteworthy voices to make this season bright! First, we begin with Rabbi Schneur Zalman of Liadi who reminds us "A little bit of light dispels a lot of darkness".?And include Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. who adds “Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that “Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that”.? Happy Hanukkah and Merry Christmas!!? Donut ever forget the Light!!