Sunday 16 December 2012

Miracles Every Day

As we lit the eighth candle last night, I talked with Littletree about the miracle of Channukah - about 2000 years ago, the temple was destroyed and the people needed specially prepared sacred oil to keep the sacred lamp burning. But in the ruins of the temple, all that remained was one little jar of oil; barely enough to last for one day, and it would take eight days to make more.
By a miracle, that small jar of oil lasted for eight days - long enough to make more, and to keep the flame burning.

28 channukah 8th candle

For me, this is a true story; one that I've experienced in my real life. So many times I've been in the communal kitchens at Rainbow Gatherings, where communal vegetarian meals are prepared for sometimes up to 5,000 people twice daily.

33 channukah 8th candle

The whole shebang is run by volunteers, without any structured leaders, workers or organisation. Everything from the collecting of donations, the writing of shopping lists, the shopping, the storage, the kitchen hygiene and the food preparation is done by self-appointed volunteers.

31 channukah 8th candle

And sometimes we get into the kitchen to prepare food for hundreds or thousands of people, only to find that there's no oil left to cook with.
So I get an empty oil bottle, and I go around the whole festival to people's individual camp sites, and ask: can anyone donate a little oil from their personal food stash.

36 channukah 8th candle prism

Even just a splash of oil, every little bit helps. Some people don't have oil, some people can just spare a little, some people give up half a bottle... but I always return to the kitchen with enough oil (or salt, or potatoes, or whatever) to make the meal for everyone to share.

35 channukah 8th candle prism

It's a true miracle. When people work together and share as a community, everything is possible.

34 channukah 8th candle

Chag Sameach.

6 comments:

  1. Absolutely lovely! Thank you so much for a sharing. Reading your blog is a highlight for me!

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  2. just think, if those people has just said, oh well, it's pointless, there's not enough oil so we might as well just admit defeat and put out the flame, we would never have known of the miracle. miracles need opportunites too.
    your own well of strength is a jar of sacred oil. mine too.

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  3. when running out of oil in the rainbow kitchen, instead of going camp to camp, you didn't think to just melt some candles?

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    Replies
    1. ha! everyone knows candles are in even shorter supply in rainbow than cooking oil

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Thanks for your lovely words, witty banter and entertaining discussion :)