Happy Holidays!
No, I am not crazy. I know that it is not the Halloween-through-New-Year’s time just yet. I just wanted to take time to acknowledge the holidays for my dear Jewish friends – it is time for their High Holy Days, the time between their New Year and Day of Atonement, which are occuring between September 18 – September 28 this year. I always envied the Jews when I was younger – they are my reason for saying “God meant us to party!” (Not that the Day of Atonement is a party, to be sure). They have more celebrations, I believe, than any other religion. I also envied their position in God’s favor – He has blessed them in so many ways. There is something to be said for being on God’s good side! Even when they have been through horrendous suffering they have always managed to live to see another day, even coming out stronger than ever. The country of Israel was re-formed in 1948 right after the atrocities of World War 2, remember. To me, as a Gentile and as an American, the most sobering words of the Lord in the Bible are Genesis 12:3 – I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse; and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you.” If we believed that in our world, there would be no more anti-Semites. These words have certainly been proven time after time and I believe they will be proven for all of eternity. As a Christian, of course, I believe that the last part of the verse, that “all peoples on earth will be blessed through you,” refers to the coming of Jesus, who was a Jew, down from the line of King David. And I am grateful that I have been adopted as God’s daughter, so I also have a share in God’s favor. Still, some days I just want to dress up as Queen Esther and party like it’s 539!
