We are currently in the midst of the holiday of Hanukkah, a holiday of celebrating light over darkness based on miracles that happened in the second century B.C.E. It is a holiday that reminds us of the power of God’s light and was certainly a holiday that Jesus observed, as did every Jew of his time living under Roman rule.
The word Hanukkah actually means “dedication," and it commemorates the dedication of the Temple in Jerusalem as well as the dedication of the Maccabees in their war against evil. We may celebrate the holiday by lighting the Hanukkah Menorah (Hanukkiah), but there is one question that arises out of the holiday that we must all ask ourselves: What are we really dedicated to?
We say that we’re dedicated to God, our country, family, specific values, etc., but are we? For Christians, Jesus demonstrated his dedication to humanity and God through his ultimate sacrifice. The IDF is daily demonstrating its dedication to the survival of Israel. But for most of us who live in the relative comfort and cushiness of America, do our actions demonstrate the dedication we claim to have?
For some people, the answer is a resounding “yes”! These are the real lights of Hanukkah: the people and organizations who show us the light of dedication through their actions. Their commitments should be honored, and their dedication to making the world better needs to be emulated. So, in no particular order, here are some of the real lights of dedication in our world. Eight candles of dedication that light the way for us all:
- Dr. Michael Savage, Dr. Sebastian Gorka, Mark Levin, and the conservative talk show hosts who have kept the flame of liberty alive. These three men, and those who have emulated them, are daily fighting to expose the darkness of leftist practices that have been transforming our country. They are daily confronted with hate, threats, and slander, yet each of these three men has for years been fighting for all Americans. They combine knowledge with courage and are a light in the darkness of the political world.
- Homeschooling families. It is a difficult task to homeschool your child, especially as they become tween and teenagers. But each of these families has chosen to ignite the light of education in their children rather than succumb to the agenda-driven public school systems that pervade our nation. The candles of real education that they are lighting in their children will be the lights that save this country and the world as they create a future generation of critical thinkers to fight against the lemmings of modern culture.
- John N. For safety reasons, I am not exposing this person’s name, but his story is important. The owner of a resort here in California, he has year after year hosted the local Hanukkah celebration at his resort: placing a 12-foot Hanukkiah on the property, lighting the candles, and having a large annual community Hanukkah party. Although not Jewish, he is committed to accepting all people and bringing light into the world (he is also one of the largest donors to cancer research in the world). When the local rabbi came to him this year to say that there is a lot of hate and crazy people, and maybe they shouldn’t place the resort at risk by displaying the Hanukkiah and having a Hanukkah party, John’s response was clear. “Rabbi, you are not alone. We’ve got your back, and we will not be intimidated.” His dedication to community and his caring for others is a light that we all need to carry in our daily actions.
- Charlie Kirk, Jack Posobiec, Laura Loomer, Andrew Klavan, Bryce Eddy, Joseph Flynn, Ben Shapiro, 180Shift, Savanah Hernandez, Avi Yemini, Juanita Broderick, Marina Medvin, and all of the conservative social media influencers who are using X/Twitter and other platforms to combat the propaganda that is spewed by mainstream media. These modern leaders are getting the truth out to millions of people who otherwise would be ignorant of the travesties going on in the world. They are on the cutting edge of every political issue and constantly striving to educate the world through these new media platforms as well as their organizations like TPUSA and The Daily Wire.
- PJ Media, Townhall, RedState, Breitbart, Newsmax, and all of the news outlets that, while “non-traditional”, are actually the outlets exposing the corruption and attacks on our country. (A good reason to become a PJ Media VIP member). Every day, these outlets provide news and an understanding of the complex challenges that we are facing in a world that seems dedicated to its own demise.
- Zionist Organization of America, Catholics for Catholics, Christians United For Israel, the Advocates for Faith and Freedom, and all non-houses of worship organizations that are daily fighting for the preservation of traditional religious values. These organizations are on the front line of the fight for freedom of religious practices, support of Israel, and the priority of faith over fear.
- Ashley St. Clair, James Lindsay, Mike Cernovich, and the social media warriors who are daily fighting to preserve our culture and values. These lights in the darkness work tirelessly to shine a candle in the cultural darkness that has been enveloping the world. Their voices are beacons of hope for a future where our children will grow to be healthy adults with balanced emotions, self-awareness, and responsibility.
- The Israel Defense Force. The IDF is currently fighting a war not just for the preservation of Israel, but for the survival of the entire Western world. Only through completely destroying Hamas so that it can never again have a hope of regrouping can the fanatical Islamofacists that seek to destroy the West be stopped. Israel is right now the front line of the war against the West, and the IDF is defending the world, not just Israel.
These are only eight examples of dedication that are changing the world for the better. And they all have in common a biblical teaching that is also worth remembering. Throughout the Bible, characters that include Adam, Abraham, Jacob, Hezekiah, and more are asked the question, ”Ayecha?”…”Where do you stand?” They each respond with one word: “Hineni!”…"I am here."
We are all asked by God/Life/the Universe where we stand in every moment, and the people we remember as having made a difference were the ones who knew where they stood and had the courage, willingness, ability, and dedication to express it. The men, women, and organizations mentioned above and those like them.
Where do you stand? What are you dedicated to? Who are the other lights in the darkness of today’s world?
May we all have the wisdom to choose the right things to dedicate ourselves to and the courage to act on those commitments.
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