The story of Hanukkah is that is was a very dark time in the life of the Hebrews. There was a tyrant on the throne, Antiochus Epiphanies, who treated them poorly. They were basically slaves, and he desecrated their temple. A leader by the name of Judas Maccabeus led a revolt called the Maccabean Revolt. They attempted to restore the temple again. The holiday of Hannukah celebrates the restoration of the temple as a place of hope during the dark time, and the miracle of the oil keeping the lamps lit for 8 nights, even though they only had enough oil for one night. That is why 8 candles are lit during Hannukah.
From Tyranny to Transformation
Our country is experiencing what Timothy Synder terms tyranny and appears to be heading toward authoritarian control. Many (all?) of us are finding the experience scary and frightening. What does our UU value of transformation have to say to us as we strive to resist tyranny and enact a radical transformation of ourselves and our […]