The Festival of Lights

Most everyone has heard of the Jewish holiday of Hanukkah, but many who celebrate Christmas know little more than that Jews get eight nights of gifts instead of just one. How many Christians actually know what miracle Hanukkah commemorates or how important it is to the way their own spirituality has evolved? 

It was 164BC, and the Jews had been conquered yet again by an oppressive enemy.  In an attempt to assimilate conquered nations into a controllable society, the Greek empire prohibited any other religion.  Jews were forced to abandon their faith and ordered to worship Greek gods.  By decree, the Temple of Jerusalem was turned into a Greek shrine, and Jews were forbidden to study the Torah, celebrate their holidays, or practice Jewish customs.  Many Jews disobeyed - and died for their spiritual commitment.  After 3 years of Greek domination, the Maccabees, a priestly family of Jews who organized a rebellion against the ruler Antiochus IV, were successful in overturning Greek rule, and the Temple was restored to Jewish ownership.  Tragically, it had been totally desecrated by the Greeks, so as part of their reclamation and rededication ceremony, the Maccabees began an eight-day purification rite. They could find only enough oil to keep the Temple menorah - a candelabrum with eight branches – lit for one day.  The miracle of Hanukkah was that despite the shortage of oil, the sacred menorah burned continuously for all 8 day!   

Many who celebrate Christmas believe that Hanukkah is a festival that has relevance only for those who practice Judaism.  But we who believe that all peaceful spiritual paths are sacred know the truth of what Rabbi Harold Kushner points out in his book To Life: a Celebration of Jewish Being and Thinking; "If it weren’t for Hanukkah, we wouldn’t be celebrating Christmas."  If the Maccabees had not bravely rebelled against the Greeks, the Jewish faith most likely would have faded into Greek culture, never to be heard of again.  There would have been no Jewish community for Jesus to be born into a century and half later.  There would have been none of the messianic promises he claimed to fulfill.  "Without Hanukkah", says Rabbi Kushner, "there would have been no Christmas.”

Those who follow the teachings of Jesus, if they truly search for their spiritual roots, will find that by faith, they belong to the House of David.  Jesus lived his entire life as an observant Jew.  He celebrated Hanukkah as a child, and the last supper was a Passover Seder.  All the apostles and most of those who became his early followers were Jewish.  The crowds who came to hear Jesus speak called him Rabbi, the Hebrew word for teacher. It would seem that historically and traditionally, Christmas and Hanukkah are inseparably and undeniably linked!

Sacred oil in a temple – a magical star shining over a stable.  Miracles are of one spirit, not of one faith.  Miracles are for anyone who believes.  That is the heart of Hanukkah and the soul of Christmas.  The more we allow ourselves to recognize the wisdom and truth of other spiritual paths, the closer to Wholeness and true Unity we become.

Hanukkah Sameach, Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays and Namaste!

24 Years and 7 Months

The poem below was written by my dear friend Molly Pearce, an amazing and wise young woman with an amazing and wise old soul.  Born with a rare form of an intestinal condition called Hirshprungs Disease, doctors gave baby Molly Jo no chance of living to see her first birthday.

I became Molly's part-time caregiver when she was 3.  The doctors spent a lot of time shaking their heads about the miracle of Molly surviving to that age.  She was fed through IVs and with Pedia-sure through a pump that connected directly into her stomach.  She could have nothing to eat except chicken broth and Popsicles -  and eliminated through an ostomy bag.  Her life was filled with trips to the ER, hospital stays, tests, surgeries, and pain... and yet, even at this young age - she was demonstrating her tenacious commitment to LIFE!

Molly lived. Every moment, she lived.  She lived on the edge, never quite knowing how long she might be here - but that didn't matter.  One of her favorite quotes was from the Buddha: "The trouble is, you think you have time." Molly wanted everyone to know that time is precious - and the way we spend it makes all the difference.  Whenever she regained some strength, she was off and running.  There was high school, and then college... she had jobs and rode horses (and mechanical bulls!), jumped out of airplanes, adored her animals, traveled to Paris, fell in love... all while going in and out of hospitals and having 37 major surgeries. When she got discouraged, she cried ... she talked about it...  she move through it - and went on living.  Hard to imagine how such a  huge well of strength sprung from that thin, fragile looking body... 

but her life was the proof!

 

In May of 2013, after spending more than 7 months in a transplant hospital in Nebraska, with her damaged body failing organ by organ as she  bravely waited for one rare 4 organ transplant donor, the hospital informed Molly and her family that she was being removed from the transplant list because she had grown too weak to survive the surgery.  In a last push of love, friends, family and hospital staff came together to give Molly one of the things she wanted most - a wedding.  Propped with pillows in a wheel chair, skin yellowed from toxins in her body and barely able to keep her swollen eyes open, Molly, still beautiful in her wedding dress - hair coiffed and makeup done - exchanged vows with the love of her life and become Mrs. Corey Eaker.

 

24 years and 7 months after the doctors said she could not live... 24 years and 7 months of  Molly giving and loving and growing and sharing and caring and LIVING in spite of incredible odds - her mighty spirit finally agreed with her body that there had been enough pain for this lifetime.  At 1:11AM on June 4, 2013, the earth slowed for a moment and watched in awe as our beloved Molly Jo took flight to begin the next leg of her Grand Adventure.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I am only one of literally thousands of people that Molly touched with her courage, humor, beauty, tenacity, generosity and compassion. She is deeply missed by so many - and right this very minute - I am intensely aware of the Molly shaped hole in me that will never really be filled again. 

I miss you Mollywog.  Thanks for staying so long, for sharing yourself with such love, and for helping to change the lives of so many... including me.  Your courage will continue to inspire and encourage people for many many years to come.  You have made a difference on this planet, my friend!  I love you with all my heart and soul, forever and always!

 

 

A Poem by Molly

Take a Moment
Your life was put into your hands
and the first day you were so very thankful
every breath you took was in gratitude
every sight you took in was beautiful
every smell was new and sweet
the colors were bright
and your mind was clear
your body never felt so right.

That first day was the day you felt thankful
and as time went by you began to forget just how much 
so, not by any fault of your own, you started 
to let the world effect you
you let the hours slip pass
the moments go by
you let the colors that were once so bright
fade into something a bit more dull and worn.

You didn’t look up to the sky
and feel awe in the pit of your stomach
you didn’t smell the smell of rain
and remember your loved ones with a smile
you just allowed your senses begin to fail you,
let your brain take over
let it tell you there are 
more important things to be doing.

It’s okay you forget these things,
everyone does,
but just remember every once in a while
to let a deep breath into your lungs.

Remember to really look at the colors 
and textures around you
to really take the time to love those 
who you see so often
and never for a moment realize
one day they will be gone.

Just remember to be thankful for what you have,
every ability,
every strength,
even every weakness.

You are perfect and to remember that all you have to do
is take a moment to see that life is worth 
so much more than anyone gives it credit for.
 

– Molly Pearce – 2006 (age 18)

http://donatelife.net/

https://www.facebook.com/ToMollyWithLove

In Defense of Tom and Ben

One of my Facebook friends who is a human rights activist posted the second sentence of the Declaration of Independence on her FB page a few days before Independence Day.  That's all she posted - just one sentence.  It was elegant in its simplicity and eloquent in its truth.

Of course, as is the case when you are a public figure and have almost 5000 FB friends like she does, there are always people who feel the need to critique everything.  I found it a little astonishing. These are the words my friend posted:

"We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness."

After these immortal words of our founding fathers - these words that created a nation that would go on to become the greatest in the history of the planet, Michelle felt the need to comment: "Now make this apply to BLACK PEOPLE."

Debbi wrote: "I wish it said humans not men."

Susanna posted:  "Yes- women are NOT included in that statement."

And David thought that rather than say humans or men - it should say "all Earthlings are created equal."   (which I’m sure would generate angry alien discrimination posts from Martian and Venutian Facebook users…)

So - FB people  - let's go back in time and travel to Philadelphia in 1776.  Let's talk to Jefferson and Franklin and the founding fathers and try to straighten them out.  Let's try to enlighten them about what the terms Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgendered mean - tell them that their declaration was a good try - but they need to bump it up a notch.  "All LGBT and straight and sexually ambiguous Earthlings of all genders, races, religions, belief systems, colors, and lifestyles -  and vegans and the lactose and gluten intolerant and all those who prefer Macs over PCs and those who enjoy reruns of Mr. Ed as well as those who prefer to watch Scandal, and Red Bull  users and those who like 5 hour energy, etc, etc… are created equal.”  The Declaration of Independence will be 532 pages long  - but it will offend almost no one.

Let's talk to them about the repeal of DOMA - and that now Tom and Ben can be legally married in the United States of America.  Can you see Benjamin Franklin's face turning red and his eyes bulging out under his little wire-rim glasses at this thought?

Back when the Declaration of Independence was penned and signed in 1776 - the language that was used was extremely liberal, open-minded, and boundary-bursting verbiage. To say that all men are created equal… and that all men have inborn, God-given rights to liberty and life - it challenged the way things had been done...  FOREVER!  And if that wasn't enough - the danger of writing such revolutionary words took them deeper and deeper into treason against the King. They were basically writing their own death warrant. Without their courage and total commitment - where would this country be today?

I have some thoughts for these self-appointed Facebook critics.  Boys and girls, we can't go back and rewrite the Declaration in current terms... but we don't need to.  The principles are the same - whether you live in 1776 or 2013.  It's our job to take responsibility and to act on the spirit of the words and the courage of the men who wrote them.  How can we apply these remarkable principles to our lives with gratitude for how far we've been able to come because of those beginnings?  And what will the courage of  Jefferson, Franklin and all the signers of the Declaration inspire us to do, to help make this a fair and equal country for everyone?

"We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness."