NATIONAL RELIGIOUS PARTNERSHIP FOR THE ENVIRONMENT

  • Home
  • Perspectives & Resources
    • Black Church
    • Catholic
    • Evangelical
    • Jewish
    • Mainline/Orthodox
    • Other Faith Perspectives
  • Current Issues
    • Climate
    • Toxics & Environmental Health
    • Species Protection
    • Water
    • Land
    • Take Action
  • About
    • Partners
    • Board
    • Staff
  • News
  • Blog

Seeing God in Creation and Community

12/10/2020

1 Comment

 
Picture
Tonight is the first night of the Jewish holiday of Hanukkah, also known as the Festival of Lights. The holiday commemorates the rededication of the Second Temple in Jerusalem after the Maccabees defeated the Syrian armies in 165 B.C.E.

A great miracle happened there – when the Jews re-entered the desecrated sanctuary, most of the oil had been deliberately defiled. But despite this, they continued searching through the rubble until they found one single sealed cruse of consecrated oil. It's important to note that it wasn't just sitting there on the floor to be found, it had to be searched for, which required faith, action, and perseverance – a perfect metaphor for 2020.

At the heart of Hanukkah is the lighting of the menorah. Each night candles are lit by the Shamash: a single flame on the first evening, two on the second, and so on until the last night of Hanukkah, when all the lights are kindled. The eight candles represent the eight miraculous nights the Temple flame burned from that single vial, which was the length of time it took to press and consecrate fresh oil.

For Jews everywhere, lighting the menorah is a reminder of God's presence in our lives:

"Why has light been such a favorite symbol of God? Perhaps because light itself cannot be seen. We become aware of its presence when it enables us to see other things. Similarly, we cannot see God, but we become aware of God's presence when we see the beauty of the world, when we experience love and the goodness of our fellow human beings." (Etz Hayim Torah commentary published by the Conservative Judaism movement, p. 503).

Seeing God’s presence in creation and community resonates across nearly every religious tradition and is central to our shared work through Earth Ministry/Washington Interfaith Power & Light. Even in the darkest hours of night – even in the most difficult days of a pandemic-filled year – there is always light. Remember that we all carry within us the spark of creation and that together we form a strong and resilient community.

LeeAnne Beres, Executive Director, Earth Ministry
https://earthministry.org/seeing-god-in-creation-and-community/
​

1 Comment
Drew Norris link
6/21/2022 12:14:17 pm

Great bblog post

Reply



Leave a Reply.

    Recent posts:

    More: Holidays for the Haves and Have Nots
    ​

    Purim: Truths Revealed Over The Past Year

    How Rollbacks of Bedrock Environmental Law Endangers a Healthy Future 

    ​Half a Year In, We Know We Have Moral Muscle

    The Six Grandfathers Behind the Four Presidents on Mt. Rushmore

    Rep. John Lewis Lived a Life Devoted to "Good Trouble"

    God is Whispering

    Stretching the Notion of Neighbor

    For the 5th anniversary of Laudato si', let's be charitable

    Sustainability in a Post-Pandemic America

    Stepping into the Frame in a Time of Upheaval

    Clean Water Rule Under Siege

    Lamenting Racism

    ​What is Church in the Midst of a Pandemic?

    The pandemic of PFAS; the non-essential chemical in everything

    Endangered species and the modern-day Noah's ark

    COVID Serves as Dress Rehearsal for Dealing with Climate Crisis

    ​Suffering in the Book of Job: Finding Hope in God's Creation During COVID-19
Proudly powered by Weebly
Photo from Navaneeth Kishor