The Season of Miracles

This is the season of miracles. The Jewish tradition of Hanukkah (the Holiday of Lights) commemorates the time when a small amount of oil lasted eight days and kept the light in the temple from going out. Christmas celebrates the coming of the “Light of the World,” God in human form: Jesus.

I have been watching my share of Christmas movies on Hallmark Channel and Lifetime Television. Each of the stories entails the theme of miracles. A family that usually does not celebrate Christmas has a stranger come into its life who introduces everyone to the glory of Christmas; a single woman who has had a negative experience with dating swears she is content without a steady companion suddenly meets and falls in love with a man who is just right for her; or a tragedy occurs in the life of someone who does not want to observe Christmas eventually experiences something, like an epiphany, and chooses to embrace the holiday, managing to inspire others.

I hope these stories do not seem too sentimental to you. I like them. I think we need them. Just as Emily Dickinson has written:

“Hope is the thing with feathers
That perches in the soul,
And sings the tune without the words,
And never stops at all.”

That is just the first stanza of her poem, “Hope is the Thing with Feathers.” She personifies hope, giving it a life of its own, which makes me think that hope is something we should welcome. Hope is what can keep us alive, especially during this difficult time when so many have lost their homes and jobs. In the midst of those unfortunate circumstances, one can still hold on to hope, and believe this is the season of miracles.