Jews Talk Racial Justice - Ep 15: Oil, Co-Creating, and Having What We Need
QUICK EPISODE OVERVIEW
April and Tracie mark the end of the Festival of Lights with a drash (interpretation) of some of the lessons of the Hanukkah story. When one day's worth of oil lasts eight days--exactly as long as is needed to press more oil--we learn that we already possess what we need to move forward. This doesn't mean we shouldn't be pressing more oil! It means we shouldn't allow a feeling of lack to keep us from doing what we can right now.
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
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In recounting the Hanukkah story, Tracie and April point out that the oil lasted just enough time for more oil to be made, and thus, they always had everything they needed, even when they did not realize it. What is one day's worth of oil in your life? What is one skill, one bit of knowledge you do have that it's easy to overlook?
The Maccabees lit the oil even though they did not have any to replace it when it went out, but it was an important first step they knew they needed to take. Has there been a time when you have taken that first step without knowing the second? What motivated you to move into the unknown like that?
The internet is a powerful tool that Tracie and April remind us has more information related to our journeys than we can imagine. What is one gap in your knowledge that you want to learn more about? What resources are already available at your fingertips for you to learn more?
April and Tracie each have examples of where they believed they lacked an ability but instead worked with what they had, for April, it was starting to listen to books on Kindle and for Tracie, setting a reminder to water the plants. Can you think of a time you have successfully reframed a challenge you were having? What is one area you want to try to work with what you have rather than what you feel you should be able to do?
INSIGHTS FROM THIS EPISODE
“We already have the things that we need to fill that hole, if we rededicate ourselves, coming back to the Hanukkah story, to finding that solution to figuring out what that thing is from within the skills that we already have.”
“I would wanna ask you what’s one day’s worth of oil in your life? What is one skill, one bit of knowledge you do have that it’s easy to overlook?”
“One day’s worth of oil is equivalent to a first step, and not knowing the second step. It’s saying, ‘I’m clear about this first step, and I know it’s valuable, and even though I don’t know what the second one is, I’m going to take that first step.’”
“So much can be done with what we perceive in part because that thing is not all there is. It’s not just the oil in the Hanukkah story; it was also God’s presence and impact. In the stories of our movements and our communities, it’s not just our thing; it’s the pieces that we all bring together collectively, and naturally as humans. Unless we’re taking stock of everything all the time, which we’re not, we don’t actually know what will happen when we bring and get to see the sum of all of our different contributions together.”
COMMENTS OR QUESTIONS?
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