Judeo-Christian values and the holidays

Dear Editor,

On Sunday, various churches in Southwest Nebraska come to El Dorado Manor in Trenton and conduct brief inter-faith church services.

Dec. 2, 2018, Elmer and Tallie Case of the Christian Union Church came. Elmer sang a brief arrangement of Handel’s Messiah. (I found myself singing along with him.) In years past, I was involved in singing in the Community Choir in McCook and I reflected on that experience.

I also thought about my Jewish neighbors in Denver and the celebration of Hanukkah. They explained that the Jews in about 165 B.C. cleansed the temple and burned the temple lamps for eight days with only one day’s supply of oil.

The Hebrew word menorah means lampstand. A translation of this word in the King James version of the Bible refers to it as a candlestick.

Pure olive oil was burned in these lamps. (See Exodus 25:31-37 and 37:17-24).

The wicks of these lamps had to be saturated with oil and trimmed to burn brightly.

This menorah was solid gold and used only pure, clean olive oil because nothing in the temple could be impure.

There is a strong connection to Christianity in this belief. Jesus Christ said, “I am the light of the world; he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness but shall have the light of life.” (John 18:127.

Today we decorate Christmas trees with lights and cities and towns display lights.

An almond motif was used in designing the menorah. It had almond-shaped bowls and almond blossoms, a central stem, candle wicks and olive oil with six branches.

Jewish traditions state that the menorah and its tree-like form is associated with the tree of life.

These symbols are associated with the presence of the Lord or Shechinah.

Solomon’s temple in Jerusalem had 10 Menorahs. (See I Kings 7:49)

The original menorah was made for the tabernacle in the wilderness during the exodus of the Jews from Egypt.

John saw seven menorahs in a vision symbolizing seven ancient Christian churches (See Revelation 1:12-13 an 20.7)

Judeo-Christian values are connected.

Helen Ruth Arnold,

Trenton, Neb.