The other day my teen son, who was raised to respect world religions but not raised in any particular tradition, noticed that the Baptist church up the street declared that “Jesus is the reason for the season.”
“Mom,” he asked, “Why is Christmas such an important holiday?”
My answer centered on how we humans have worshiped the sun for eons and that at this darkest part of the year, it was even more important to celebrate light and renewal.
We talked about how Christianity was successful in incorporating pagan rituals like bringing into the home evergreen trees, holly, mistletoe, and ivy.
Light is celebrated in its many incarnations: as an illumination to see your way forward, as the essence of life, as a savior who nourishes the soul.
When I sat for Spirit this past Saturday (thank you Romans, for the winter celebration of Saturnalia), I was given the image of a leaf and from its veins, sprung the profiles of humans of various ages and races.
The message of this sketch is to remember that on the surface we may appear to be different, and as we age, our personalities burst with color that distinguishes our characters, and that we fade and die, but our awareness is eternal. This same source of life, exactly as we experience it, is shared across the globe.
May you experience the warmth of love, the joy of light, and the peace of awareness this winter; may the new year bring you the quiet happiness of knowing your true nature is eternal.
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