By: Reverend Richard Beal
How many of us, I wonder, notice that Hanukkah is the celebration of a successful revolt, in other words, a revolution. It is not only that, of course, but the reading for the first Sabbath of Hanukkah is from Zechariah, which includes this verse: "Not by might nor by power, but by my spirit, saith the Lord of Hosts." That this verse appears is the result of an ancient struggle between two Jewish factions over how much, if any, emphasis on militancy should be included in the story to be passed down. That this verse pointing to spirit rather than militancy won that struggle, suggests that the continuing revolt the Jewish people have had to maintain over the centuries has not needed to be an armed one.
Indeed the struggle against the Syrian empire was not as much against the political oppression of the Syrians as against their spiritual oppression. It was a spiritual revolution the Maccabees led more than a political one, and why the eight days the lamps being lit became a more important symbol than anything military.
On the surface there are many analogies between the Israel of the second century before the common era and the war in Iraq. Israel was and Iraq is a small power in the world compared to the greatest empire of the time they both were forced to face. The Greek rulers of Syria, worshipers of many gods, had no understanding of a monotheistic culture and how determined by religion the life of Israeli was. The destruction of Israel’s towns and cities was massive. Huge numbers of what we would call civilians were killed, and an even greater number of people were rendered refugees. There were other things which occurred to make the rulers of Syria lose interest in Israel for a time, as could become the case with our war with Iraq. But while these correspondences are interesting and I hope instructive, I believe the lesson for us is in the importance of a continuing religious revolution.
A revolution in which we would not be as concerned about political matters as we would be about the underlying clash of values, including morals and ethics. For if we allow ourselves to be seduced away from what our faith in freedom and democracy has meant to us, we will mean less and less and eventually vanish away. The lighting of candles against the gathering darkness we do at this holiday season is important, for it is not only to preserve the light before the Solstice comes to begin the light’s return, but symbolically is against the gathering darkness of perceived entitlement and materialistic greed and selfishness which can become so much a part of this season.
We’ve heard again and again about the importance of parents spending time with their children. A recent study discovered that the only consistent correlation between students who were doing very well in all aspects of their time at our best colleges and universities is that, way out of proportion to that of students not doing very well, they were used to eating together with their parents. The only consistent correlation! Which raises for me the question of why we sacrifice breakfast and dinner time together with children and youth so we can see they get to as many improving events as possible. It doesn’t work, but it’s a constant scramble for many parents to get their kids to as many extra lessons, sports practices, dances and parties, and shopping expeditions they believe will make them competitive.
At no other time of year is so much spent on things of little or no value or use as this season we are in. I have to do some shopping myself, which usually, except for books, I like to avoid as much as possible. But I’ve been in some stores lately in which I feel totally overwhelmed by the number and garishness - to say nothing of the price - of the things being offered for the holidays. I agree that if it feels good to buy something you don’t really need, or you just have to get something to make the house feel at least a bit festive, that’s okay. But it would be equally okay for schools to teach how to shop, how to recognize quality and value, that you can live as well or better with purchases from thrift and consignment shops -just like a lot of very well off people do.
Hanukkah, like Christmas and like the celebration of the solstice still is, were once very simple holidays, with their importance being what they meant and for which they stood. We’ve all been urged for years to create simpler ways of observing the holidays, of exchanging smaller and more personal or thoughtful gifts. Many of us have done exactly that and found to do it is a wonderful feeling. The simple living study groups coming up may be a good way for those of us who haven’t managed to replace the joy of giving and getting with the joy of just being may help us to begin or begin again.
To the extent we can simplify and spiritualize our lives, as individuals and as a community, we are being revolutionary when revolution is especially needed. When the British surrendered at Yorktown, ending our country-to-be’s revolution, the tune they marched out to was "The World Turned Up-side Down," a tune of the dissenters in old England, our religious ancestors on our Unitarian and especially Universalist sides. We embraced revolution to create a greater freedom. Why stop now? We have nothing to lose but our materialism!