Rock of ages, let our song
Praise the saving power
Thou amidst the raging foe
Was our sheltering tower
Furious they assailed us
But thine arms availed us
And thy word broke their sword
When our own strength failed us
And thy word broke their sword
When our own strength failed us
When I was growing up, we liked to remember the Jewish holidays when they came around. Although with no discernible Jewish ancestry, or aspiration toward orthodoxy, our family felt it was important to honor these holidays at least by remembering them for what they were. Most of the stories after all, were the very ones I learned about in the Bible. Passover is from the story of the Exodus, Purim is from the story of Esther. And most of the others are from similar stories and traditions, not all from the Bible, but from what I call "pre-Christian history". They celebrate God's provision, presence, and miraculous intervention. Hanukkah is a well known holiday, but do you know the story?
I'll confess I still get the details fuzzy, but in brief (because it's been a long day and week): a couple of hundred years before Christ, the temple in Jerusalem was desecrated (looting, alters to Zeus, sacrifice of pigs, awful stuff) under Antiochus, causing a revolt led by the Maccabees. They finally retook the temple, but in order to restore it and purify it, they needed to light the 'eternal flame' which runs on purified olive oil. But there was only enough there for one night, and it would take eight days to make more pure oil. But they lit the flame anyway, in faith, and God caused the oil to miraculously last for all eight days. We light our Hanukkah candles in memory of God's intervention in the past, in joy of the Great Intervention that is Christmas, and in faith of God's provision and presence now and forever.
May his be the Light we look to in every darkness.
Latkes, lotsa latkes...
{my version}
1 large onion, grated
3 potatoes, grated
2 eggs
a spoon of flour
salt and pepper
~fry in olive oil~
{my version}
2 oz vodka
2 oz cranberry juice
2 oz orange juice
4 oz pomegranate juice
~a dash of agave, if your juices are completely unsweetened
cranberries to float, and a rosemary sprig~
Sometimes you have to add tradition and glamour to an otherwise hectic and/or harrowing day. I am dead tired, and just trying to get some laundry done for tomorrow, and my room straightened so it doesn't give me a pain. I think I'm too tired to read anyway, which is what I wish I were doing with my days... or writing the new short story that's popped into my head. I did however have an enjoyable work day in which I got to have conversations on my favorite topics: travel, books, books-to-movies, shows: New York City, Percy Jackson, Sherlock, Jane Austen, Harry Potter, Doctor Who (doctors and companions). Thanks to all who participated and/or put up with my pontifications. Thanks also to anyone still reading here! Till tomorrow then, lovelies...
1 comment:
Yes! Love. So good to remember! Gotta make latkes.
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