MIDWEEK MESSAGE – December6, 2023

The Holiday Season is here!  Advent began on Sunday, and the Jewish holiday, Hanukkah, begins tomorrow night. Interestingly, what both of these events represent is hope or faith.

The Hanukkah holiday celebrates the Maccabee’s victories over the forces of the Seleucid king Antiochus IV Epiphanes.  After their victory, they needed to rededicate the temple the Seleucids had destroyed.  But their only oil was a small amount, enough for just one night.  Yet they had Hope and Faith that it would somehow be enough, and miraculously, the oil lasted for eight days, which is why the holiday is celebrated by lighting an eight-candle Menorah for eight consecutive nights.

The first Advent candle lit represents Hope/Faith. Advent denotes the coming of something significant – the birth of Jesus.  Today, it represents how we prepare our hearts and homes for Christ’s birth in the world and the rebirth of Christ within us.

In Unity, we believe that within each person is the Divine (the Christ), and no matter what we may call it, we all have It within us. In today’s world, we can forget that since all we see in the media is negativity.

Instead, let us begin this holiday season looking for the good all around us and the continued hope and faith that, despite sometimes appearances to the contrary, it is. In celebration of Advent and Hanukkah, let us look at the world, our lives, and our hearts, knowing that in the end, Light triumphs.

Quote of the Week

“You may not always have a comfortable life, and you will not always be able to solve all of the world’s problems at once, but don’t ever underestimate the importance you can have because history has shown us that courage can be contagious, and hope can take on a life of its own.” Michelle Obama