Publicize the Miracle
Tonight is the first night of Hanukkah, the Festival of Lights, when Jews celebrate their survival in the face of violent oppression and the miracle that the oil in the Temple that should have only lasted one day, lasted long enough (8 days) to make more oil. Observance commands that we light our candles and place them in our windows to “publicize the miracle,” lighting more candles on each night of the festival.
This makes no sense, logically. If the oil was running out, shouldn’t we start with a lot of candles and work our way down to the last by day 8? We don’t though. Why? Because the holiday celebrates survival in the face of great odds; it celebrates adding light to the world as the days progress.
Our world could certainly use more light. We have no shortage of challenges. Wars, poverty, genocide, climate change and its related humanitarian disasters, disease, child abuse, rape, and on and on and on in the catalog of human failings.
But there is a lot of hope too!
Amazing work to deal with every one of the challenges we face on going on all over the world, from Iraq and Afghanistan Vets making a strong case to address climate change now, to a massive genocide prevention movement, to amazing interfaith peace work, grassroots economic transformation, and exciting global education initiatives.
Even big business is getting in on trying to change the world!
It can be easy to become depressed about the problems we face as individuals and communities. This holiday is a chance to remember that we can achieve the impossible. As Rabbi Jack Zannerhaft of Bentonville, Arkansas once told me, “it’s a season of Miracles.”
What work are you part of or do you support that is changing the world?
What miracle do you want to publicize?
