Be the light, please

Eighth night
London, ON
December 2018
This photo originally shared on Instagram

Quite a change from a week ago. So much more light, so much more warmth. So much more...reflection, both optical and the kind you feel more than see.

I can't help but think that this holiday is about more than a bunch of multicolored candles, potato pancakes that keep cardiologists in Bentleys, weirdly-shaped spinning tops called dreidels that introduce kids to gambling, and enough gifts to make Santa rethink Christmas.

And I can't help but think the lessons of Chanukah extend well beyond our tiny religion, that you don't have to be Jewish to appreciate what makes this holiday meaningful.

Because in my own admittedly strange world view, Chanukah has always been a metaphor for believing in miracles even when logic and facts suggest they are impossible. They aren't, and belief and drive can overcome much. It's also been about the power of the underdog, the refusal to give in to oppression and hatred and fear, the belief in where you come from, who you are, and the strength of community.

If all of these things matter to you, now you know why this holiday, my people, my community, our shared history, are so fundentally woven into who I am. And why those beliefs do - and must always - extend beyond my own world, my own community.

That light you see? It belongs to all of us, and we're all responsible for taking its lead and making it a part of who we are. Because if we don't, we all become victims, we are all at risk of suffering the unlearned lessons of history.

So are you in? More importantly, how will you start? (Hint: Share this. Like this. Comment. Weigh in. Start the movement.)

#ldnont #yxu #london #ontario #canada #chanukah #hannukah #candles #light #eight #eighth #night #holiday #miracle #tikkunolam #repair #the #world #neveragain #jewish #jew #judaism #photography #google #pixel2 #teampixel #life #family #is #everything