December is a month of light! This month, we celebrate Hanukkah and Christmas, both of which are times of miracles and light! This year, Hanukkah will be celebrated from sundown on December 14 until sundown on December 22. During these days, we remember the Maccabees’ improbable victory over the Greek Seleucid empire that led to the rededication of the Temple and the miraculous lighting of the Temple menorah for eight days, even though there was only enough oil for one. On Christmas, which takes place every year on December 25, we celebrate the miraculous nativity of Jesus (Yeshua) in a manger in Bethlehem– the birth of the Light of the World (John 8:12).

So whether you find yourself among the Jewish people celebrating Hanukkah or Judeo-Christians celebrating Christmas, we are celebrating miracles of light. 1 John 1:5 says: “God is light; in Him there is no darkness at all.” Light illuminates. Light dispels darkness. Light helps one see. Light is necessary for growth and fosters healthy emotions. Science is catching up to what Scripture has said all along, so much so that “Happy Lights” are now sold to help lift dark moods for those who struggle with seasonal affective disorder during the darker winter months in the northern hemisphere.

This month, as we decorate our trees and homes with lights and light the candles of the menorah, let us come near to the God who radiates light and performs miracles.