Chanukah is Chanukah (began at sundown Friday) and Christmas is Christmas (the stores close on that day).

Monday, December 06, 1999

Chanukah is Chanukah (began at sundown Friday) and Christmas is Christmas (the stores close on that day). They occur within weeks of each other, both are festive, and their similarities do offer opportunities for cross-religion celebration and understanding.

Yet, many Jewish people rightly feel offended when others refer to Chanukah as "the Jewish Christmas" or "Christmas to you people." I know of no Jewish people who think Christmas is the equivalent of Chanukah (also spelled Hanukkah). I know a lot who have no idea of what Christmas is actually about, and I know even more people who fancy themselves Christian who understand no better.

The most profound similarity between Chanukah and Christmas is a celebration of deliverance (salvation, if you will) from oppression, and it is when both Jews and Christians seek liberation from oppression that the holidays compliment each other.

The Jewish community commemorates when one of their families revolted against foreign oppression and drove the pagans out of the Temple so they could practice their religion according to the Law. The Christian community celebrates the birth of the Christ-child as the Savior who would empower to live according to the gospel.

Both communities suffer those within who torture the significance of their distinctive holiday and end up celebrating something quite different. The Jews are better off than the Christians, I fear. Their worst offense seems to be to forget the day entirely and lose part of their heritage. Yet, if Chanukah were as popular among the Jewish population as Christmas is in Christendom, they would suffer as much as we. To neglect is unfortunate; to abuse is tragic.

During Chanukah, it is largely the children who expect and receive gifts. Many of the children remain quite childlike and see the getting of gifts as the main thing. Better that than grown-old but immature Christians who think getting (and giving in order to get) is the whole thing. Better for children to be childlike still than adults to become childish again.

The thing on which Jewish people ought to meditate at Chanukah is they were once delivered from oppression and that deliverance is a noble thing. They ought to be challenged to be worthy of the deliverance and to become themselves deliverers of other oppressed peoples.

The thing on which Christians ought to meditate is that spiritual and moral salvation is provided and that salvation is a noble thing. They ought to be challenged to be worthy of their salvation and to become deliverers of salvation to those lost in sin.

Looking at Christmas from however great a distance, Jewish people can recognize that political and economic freedom is of limited value without spiritual and moral salvation. Looking at Chanukah from probably a greater distance, Christians can recognize that spiritual and moral salvation is of uncertain reality until it is acted out in social justice and political freedom.

Wallace Alcorn’s column appears Mondays