OMG: Give Us Strength

OMG, there’s another new language to learn in our pursuit of communicating with each other. I have really resisted texting. I believed I had enough trouble saying what needed to be said when I could use the entire alphabet. And then, one day in answering a text from Rev. Ouida, I realized – It’s not the words so much as the intention of the communication that’s important.  There are times when less is more effective, even more meaningful. Texting , of course, isn’t always appropriate and there are times when it is perfect. So what does this have to do with “Tis the Season” or Strength?

Well, it’s the same with almost everything, including how we are being during the Holiday Season. It’s the intention behind the activities and rituals that contain the power to give us strength, to give us peace, to give us joy. My point is this; When we take a moment and ask “What is my intention here?” it changes how we are being in what we are saying or doing. It may move us to do or say more, it may move us to say or do less.

As human beings, we are a diverse group of people. We come in many sizes, colors, and shapes. We come from different cultures, speak different languages, and practice different religions. Even the food we like to eat varies. Yet, no matter who we are or where we live, one thing remains constant: We all look forward to the winter holidays.

Or do we?  I observe many people still stressing about The Holiday Season – To many gifts to buy – too little money to buy them with – too many parties to go to – just too much, way too much!  And way too long! The stores and Malls start promoting, coaxing us to buy, even before Halloween costumes and decorations have been put away.  I am so grateful that we have not lost our Thanksgiving Traditions all together in the consumer rush of promoting the “Gift Giving” part of our celebrations and rituals.

For many years of my life, I felt driven to give expensive gifts. First gifts for my children had to be what they wanted and more. But it was my expectation of experiencing their delight that motivated me to do this. I wanted to experience, through them, how I would have experienced receiving that shiny new bicycle instead of a simple game and a box of chocolate covered cherries. Later, when I gave gifts to persons at work, I always needed to give bigger or better gifts than others did. So it was a self-serving way of giving gifts. Then the pendulum swung the other way and I literally stopped giving material gifts at all.  With my family, we all chipped in on spending a weekend at Yosemite, for example. This was lovely and we will continue gifts like that, but it just didn’t feel right –the giving and receiving of gifts was missing.

How it all Began
So how do so many, like I did, get so off track with our gift giving being our only focus during the Holiday Season and for our own self-serving reasons?  And there are others who get so stressed on creating everything for a party that has to be just perfect. I call it the “Martha Stewart Syndrome”. Every detail has to be perfect or their party is a flop. We lost the joy and the closeness of just being together - of celebrating the hope of love and Peace on Earth. How do we get back to the Spiritual strength that comes in the Winter Holiday Season? It’s pretty simple! By changing our intentions of why we give a gift, why we host a party, why we sing songs, why we watch holiday movies or go see “The Nutcracker”, why we do any of it. And how we are being when we’re doing these things.

To get a new (I should say, old) perspective, let’s look at where these holidays that we all celebrate originated. Contrary to popular belief, they didn't begin with Christmas. Rather, they started over four thousand years ago in ancient Egypt. The occasion? An extravagant party to celebrate the rebirth of Horus-the god who appeared in the sky as a fiery orb each day-the same orb we know today as the Sun. So, let’s take a brief look at some of the winter celebrations.

Hanukkah - 12/22-12/29/08 the "Festival of Lights” With blessings, games, and festive foods, Hanukkah celebrates the triumphs--both religious and military--of ancient Jewish heroes. in Hebrew, Hanukkah means "dedication." In the temple they found only enough purified oil to kindle the temple light for a single day. But miraculously, the light continued to burn for eight days. The menorah symbolizes the burning light in the temple, as well as marking the eight days of the Hanukkah festival. Some say it also celebrates the light of freedom won by the Maccabees for the Jewish people.

Christmas -  12/25/08 – Let’s look at Christmas in other countries: ¯ In Mexico, Christmas is an important holiday season with strong traditions. One of the most colorful traditions is the posada party, celebrated every evening from December 16 to 24. These celebrations commemorate Mary and Joseph's cold and difficult journey from Nazareth to Bethlehem in search of shelter. "Posada" in Spanish, simply means lodging or shelter.¯ The celebration of Christmas in France varies by region. For example, In Lyon, December 8^th is la Fête de lumières, when they pay hommage to the virgin Mary by putting candles in their windows which light up the whole village. ¯Cuba officially became an atheist nation in 1962, but the Christmas holiday was celebrated until 1969, when Fidel Castro decided it was interfering with the sugar harvest. In 1997 President Castro restored the holiday to honor, the visit of Pope John Paul II to the island. With the reinstatement of the holiday, Christmas Mass is held in Havana's Revolution Square. Thousands of Cubans worship at midnight Masses, as church bells ring out across Havana to mark the moment when Christmas Eve becomes Christmas Day. ¯

 ISLAM:

Hajj - 12/06/08

Islamic pilgrimage to Mecca that must be performed by every Muslim man and woman at least once in their lifetime.  Eid al-Adha - 12/09/08 "Festival of the Sacrifice," a commemoration of Abraham (begins at sunset of the previous day).

Kwanzaa is a week-long holiday celebrated throughout the world, honoring African heritage, marked by participants lighting a kinara (candle holder).^[1] It is observed from December 26 to January 1 each year.

Kwanzaa features activities such as candle-lighting and pouring of libations, and culminating in a feast and gift giving. It was created by Maulana Karenga and first celebrated from December 26, 1966, to January 1, 1967.

Winter Solstice  - 12/21/08 In pagan Scandinavia the winter festival was the yule . Great yule logs were burned, and people drank mead around the bonfires listening to minstrel-poets singing ancient legends. It was believed that the yule log had the magical effect of helping the sun to shine more brightly.

Mistletoe, which was sacred because it mysteriously grew on the most sacred tree, the oak, was ceremoniously cut and a spray given to each family, to be hung in the doorways as good luck. To hang it over a doorway or in a room was to offer goodwill to visitors. Kissing under the mistletoe was a pledge of friendship.

Ta Chiu – is a Taoist festival of peace and renewal that occurs every year on December 27. On this day, the townspeople summon the gods and ghosts of their ancestors so that the collective power will renew their lives and fulfill wishes for the coming year.

There are many others - more names and rituals I can't even pronounce. Each celebration is a little different, but the main ideas are the same. These holidays can provide us with a time for reflection, resolution, and renewal. A time for gift-giving, good will, and kindness. Maybe even “Radical Acts of Kindness”! Most important, though, they provide us with rituals to celebrate the balance of light and dark - Rituals for welcoming the healing powers of warmth back into our world-and that gives us a common ground that draws us together as a people and gives us strength.

I am more aware that there is an energy, a child-like expectancy, this time of year that moves us so to want to give to others and share time with others. When I read Rev. Ouida’s article in the E-newsletter about her Christmas memories of her childhood in New York, it triggered my very early Holiday memories, before we moved to town, before school. The thrill of going out in the snow-covered night, the whole family driving to our little country church. The music was different, more exciting, the older kids did a play about baby Jesus. And we all got a little brown paper bag filled with hard candy, peanuts, an apple and an orange. What I remember most clearly is how happy I felt!  That’s the memory I now choose to build my Holiday intentions on.  

This year, I believe millions of people in our country will understand and experience the Winter Holidays from a different perspective. Though we are in the midst of economic chaos, at the same time there is a wonderful energy of hope and expectancy that over-rides our fears. By the election of Barak Obama and his love-guided leadership, perhaps a critical mass of  Light, of Love, Peace and Joy will be reached. I know, for me, I am returning to a higher intention in gift-giving during the Holiday Season.  Not overspending as I once did, nor eliminating it altogether.  Choosing gifts for family and friends that say,  “I Love You” – “I Honor You”.  Just as the gifts of gold, myrrh & franksense from the wise men and the magi, were gifts only given to royalty at that time.

My over-spending days were full of stress followed by guilt.  This year my ritual will have the afterglow of Love because that is what is going into the time/money/creativity of giving Holiday gifts.

Along with giving gifts, I intend to celebrate in many ways – Christmas Parties with a variety of groups and friends, The Christmas Revels at Scotts Rites Temple, Our ASLC Concert & Party (this will be the Highlight of celebrations), the Winter Solstice and Hanukkah.  A very sacred Christmas Eve Candle Light Service which will honor the Christ Child’s birth and the true message that we all are born of that same Star.

I know that all the light and love of this Holiday Season will make stronger my connection to Spirit, to God.  Having strengthened my Soul, my Christ Child within and having also honored my humanness, I will more readily see the Candle Light, the Sun Light, the Christ Light, the Love Light, in everyone, in all traditions, from all cultures, even those I do not yet understand. This is my Interfaith Way of finding the strength rather than the stress in the Holiday Season.