Create Holy Sparks for All Humankind

Spiritual Sunday – First Day of Hanukkah

To commemorate the Jewish festival of Hanukkah or Festival Festival of Lights, which is early this year (November 28-December 6), I share two poems. For those who need an explanation, Wikipedia tells us that

Hanukkah is a Jewish holiday which celebrates the victory of the Maccabees over the larger Syrian army. It also celebrates a miracle that happened during this time, where just a day’s supply of oil allowed the menorah in the rededicated Temple in Jerusalem to remain lit for eight days.

Both poems play with light imagery. In the first, Marla Baker connects Hannukah with the creation story, including God endowing humans

with capacity
To distinguish dark from light, with capacity
To create holy sparks, see into the shadows and
Shine light where it is dark.

“And You saw that it was very good,” she concludes.

A Hanukkah Prayer for a Time of Darkness
by Marla Baker

Creator of All,
In the beginning You made the night sky luminous with the light of the moon and the stars and
You made the daytime bright with the light of the sun and
Saw that it was good.

And You created human beings in Your own image, with capacity
To distinguish dark from light, with capacity
To create holy sparks, see into the shadows and
Shine light where it is dark.
And You saw that it was very good.

Creator of All and Rock of Ages,
In the time of the Maccabees once more You worked a miracle of light,
Permitting our ancestors to rededicate holy space.
And it lasted eight days and eight nights.
Creator of All and Rock of Ages,

In the dark of night, at the darkest time of year
We light candles in remembrance of the miracle,
One more each night until there are eight.

Creator of All and Rock of Ages,
Too many lights have been extinguished.
The world has grown too dark.
Creator of Light and Dark,
Teach us once more to see into the shadows,
To shed our light in all the dark corners and to
Create holy sparks for all humankind
So that once more we can say
It is very good.

Similar imagery can be found in Mark Strand’s “The Coming of Light.” Again, the Genesis story is invoked, especially the line, “And the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul.” The coming of love, the coming of light and the coming of life are all seen as one and the same. Stars gather in the heavens and, below, “candles are lit as if by themselves.”

Even in this time of darkness, when all seems bleak, “dreams pour into your pillows.”

The Coming of Light
by Mark Strand

Even this late it happens:
the coming of love, the coming of light.
You wake and the candles are lit as if by themselves,
stars gather, dreams pour into your pillows,
sending up warm bouquets of air.
Even this late the bones of the body shine
and tomorrow’s dust flares into breath.