Day 082, Friday, Nov. 1
Leviticus 22:17 – 24:9 Click here to read
Referring to this time of year as the “holiday season” isn’t just a way of avoiding the mention of Christmas. In fact, this is a time of year where almost every week brings at least one holiday that’s important to at least part of our community, though not all mean a day off work.
Over the next couple of months we’ll have several Christian holidays (All Saints’ Day, All Souls’ Day, Advent, Christmas Eve and Christmas.) We’ll see other groups celebrating holidays like Hanukkah and Kwanzaa; more broadly celebrated days like Thanksgiving and New Year’s, and national holidays like Veterans Day and Pearl Harbor Day.
Each in its own way invites reflection. Some honor the memory of those no longer with us or of tragedy. Others are celebrations of great events. Some are tied to faith, others not so much.
The need to remember the past and to have times to reflect on important events and values isn’t new. Every culture has its own special days and its own customs to remember them.
That is what chapter 23 is about. Some of the special days are typical of agricultural societies, others have specifically religious significance. All, though, invite the community of faith to remember that all good things are gifts from God.
In the stress that often accompanies this season of holidays, don’t lose sight of what each is meant to remind us of.