As we move further into December's holiday season here in southern California, Christmas decor is springing up everywhere. The neighborhood churches are posting their programs and sermon topics on their marquis, California style. Yesterday I was inspired by one as I drove past..."Christmas Without the Crazy". In the Christian holiday, we know the "Crazy" of trying to balance gift-giving, Santa traditions, cards, the post office, holiday travel, visitors, year-end parties, Christmas programs, pageants, our own financial limitations, and hopefully, time for meditation and prayer. The Christmas story too easily becomes rote or buried in the sea of "To Do before December 25" list. But this year, "Without the Crazy" also has me reflecting today on Jewish Hanukkah. Tonight, the 4th of the 8 day holiday, prayers will be recited, and 4 of the 8 ritual candles lit. Historically, it is the story of political repression of religion in the conquest of war, then the reversal of victory that led to the reconstruction of the holy Temple, and the miraculous story of the single (1-day) jar of oil that kept candles lit for 8 days. Hanukkah expresses an over 2,000 year tradition that is summed up (similar to what I wrote for Diwali) as the conquest of Light over Darkness. Within all religions are ancient tales that offer modern life meaning, solutions, and yes, the miraculous, that's why they are re-told and celebrated. That is why we give them respect.
The irrational, nonsensical aspect of this December, 2023 is that any religion can still be used by those who seek conflict to spur violence and war. Like a ax aimed to split wood down the middle, there is an energy that aims to disrupt and turn social order against itself. Yet, we (humanity) are capable of coexistence. We (humanity) are intelligent enough to figure out how to do that, how to coexist. At the core of human spirituality, which is expressed in that deepest understanding of one's own religion and the deepest grasping of the heart of our neighbor's religion, the human parts find the Whole. We coexist as a Whole that nourishes us all. Religion that divides makes no sense in this century. That doesn't mean there is one world religion. What a wonder that the human mind and heart has discovered so many facets, so many paths, congruent and incongruent, still leaving room for the Unknown and the Mystery. To me, that is sanity. (Susan Nettleton)
For poetry: https://hillsidesource.com/punyabhumi-christmas-larry-poem
https://allpoetry.com/.../13442444--co-existing-by-joseph...