Sermon: So Many Years

“So Many Years”
Rev. Megan Lloyd Joiner
Unitarian Society of New Haven
December 17, 2017

 

Don’t let the light go out.

It’s lasted for so many years.

The events in the story of the Maccabean Revolt took place over 2000 years ago.

The birth of Jesus of Nazareth, which many of us celebrate at Christmas time, took place over 2000 years ago as well.

And people have been observing the winter solstice for much longer than anyone has been celebrating Hanukkah or Christmas.

These ancient stories of light and hope have been important to generations of people facing oppression and hardship. They tell of the earth that will survive the cold winter, of light that will return, of a people that will survive devastation of their land and desecration of their holy place,

of a baby who brings with his birth peace and goodwill for all.

We tell these ancient stories of light and hope, of justice and peace at this time of year just as people have done for centuries, for millennia!

Why do we do that?

Why don’t we just make up new stories? Sometimes we do. Our Director of Lifespan Religious Education, Jesse Greist, is particularly good at making up stories. But sometimes it is really meaningful to tell the same stories as our ancestors and do the same things that they did so long ago – ancient rituals like lighting Hanukkah candles or more modern rituals like decorating a Christmas tree with lights and ornaments.

And what happens when we do that? Well, we become part of a tradition.
We are connected to the past – to all those who have kindled lights of hope in the darkest days of the year for thousands of years – and we are connected to the future – to all those who will come after us and do the same.

These traditions — these things we do and stories we tell each year – guide us through the turning of the year. They give us markers for time passing; they give us something to look forward to.

Moreover, they remind us what it means to be human – what is means to be human and what it means to live as a people of hope. When asked what ancient history has to do with being Jewish today, author Francine Klagsbrun answers that “from those ancient teachings stem spiritual and ethical ideals that still challenge us to live up to our fullest human potential.”

From these ancient winter stories, we learn what it is to believe in miracles, to hope for change and freedom, and to believe in the power of possibility.

~

Each year we may tell the same stories and do the same things but we are different. Maybe we’ve grown taller. Maybe we’ve lost some more teeth, maybe we’ve faced hard times or changed our mind on something unexpected.

The year circles around again and it’s time to light the lights or trim the tree or walk the solstice spiral, but it’s never exactly the same because we have changed.

This is the spiral of time.

The year circles around, and we go through the seasons with their different celebrations and traditions, but time also expands, and, like the rings of a tree, each year is added to our life, bringing growth and change and something new.

We are part of ancient traditions, and we keep the lights burning, but we are also moving forward through time, carrying traditions into the future, forging new paths of hope and love, justice, and peace.

May it be so this year and for so many years to come.

 

Resources

I Am Jewish: Personal Reflections Inspired by the Last Words of Daniel Pearl edited by Judea Pearl, Ruth Pearl, 2004.