The Holiday Season Is Here. Let’s Try to Find Some Joy and Peace.

James B. Ewers, Jr., Ed.D., Columnist

We have just celebrated Thanksgiving with our family and friends. It was festive and fun. The food was tasty and was a buffet of delightful dishes. Living in the Crescent City meant for our family that one of the dishes was gumbo. This tradition of Thanksgiving is rich and has been with us for years and signals the start of the holiday season.

One such tradition is Black Friday. However, Black Friday sales reserved for the day after Thanksgiving began weeks ago. A historical report says that back in the 1950s, police in Philadelphia used the term to describe the chaos that ensued on the day after Thanksgiving when hordes of suburban shoppers and tourists flooded into the city in advance of the Army-Navy football game held on that Saturday every year. National Broadcast Channel (NBC) News reported that Black Friday online sales set a record for purchases.

Another tradition, Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, continues to be a great attraction for those watching on television or in person. The first Macy’s Thanksgiving Parade was held on November 27, 1924. It has been going strong since that time.

And do not forget that Christmas is coming soon. Let us remember the reason for the season and not be overwhelmed by the commercial aspect of it.

It is my opinion that America has had its share of struggles this year and families have suffered in many ways. The pandemic is still with us as millions of our brothers and sisters have passed away from COVID-19. The latest reports say there have been over 98 million cases and that over 1 million people have lost their lives. Vaccinations have become a staple in our healthcare maintenance schedule and will be with us for years to come. If you have not been vaccinated, you are playing with your life.

I am glad that my family and friends have been vaccinated as it lowers the risk of contracting COVID-19. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, on December 5, 2022, encouraged people to wear masks to help reduce the spread of respiratory illnesses this season as COVID, flu, and RSV circulate at the same time.

CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky, in a call with reporters, said wearing a mask is one of several everyday precautions that people can take to reduce their chances of catching or spreading a respiratory virus during the busy holiday season.

We are also experiencing gun violence. Losing your life to an illness is one

Providence Embedded in Communion

Rev. Dr. Versey A. Williams, Contributing Writer

1 Corinthians 11:23-32

Jesus took the bread and broke it. Bread is a staple in our diet and can sustain us. Jesus said to remember him each time we partake of Holy Communion. Remembering Jesus is essential to communing with God. Jesus is God’s incarnate deity embodied in flesh or human form. Misconstruing the gospel has been used to keep people of color subservient to colonialism/racism’s cruelty. For example, “Slaves, obey your masters.” For me, the bread that Jesus broke invites us to experience more of the freedoms of the Lord’s Supper. Reflecting on the story of Elijah and the widow helps us celebrate God’s provision for us even more.

Experiencing trouble, God told Elijah (1 Kings 17) to hide near a brook. God sent a raven to give Elijah bread and flesh (we would call flesh protein). When the brook dried up, God sent Elijah to a widow for sustenance. Elijah found her preparing to bake two sticks for her and her son; they would die. Elijah, already learning about God’s faithfulness and creativity, being sustained by a raven, carried out God’s provision for them.

In the widow’s case, she was going to cook two sticks, and she and her son would die from starvation. God again provided for Elijah and the widow and her son. Despite the drought, the widow never ran out of meal or oil.

As time passed, the widow’s son became ill unto death. This time, bread takes on a new meaning. The grieving widow knew Elijah was the reason she thing but losing your life because of a shooting is quite another story. Yet we find ourselves amid a battle with ourselves. You see, we are pulling the triggers and killing each other. Reports have shown these violent crimes are happening with increased regularity. You and I know the numbers and they are all bad. Just when we have reached a low point, we somehow manage to go even lower.

When will this evil period in our America stop?

Despite our myriad of problems, we must create some happiness for ourselves. It cannot be all doom and gloom. We have ways of finding love and peace. It is within our reach if we start with our patience and have more of it. Simply smiling and using encouraging words will help to shine a bright light on someone’s dark place. We must try harder to find the good in each of us because there is good in us.

We usually make New Year’s resolutions after Christmas; however, I believe the time is now.

Let’s resolve to stay better connected to our family members and friends. Let’s resolve to take better care of ourselves physically, mentally, and spiritually. Let’s resolve to control ourselves and to not let our tempers control us. Let’s resolve to help a young person with their goals and dreams. Let’s resolve to value each day because tomorrow, not even the end of the day is promised.

The Reverend Jesse Jackson always tells us to “Keep hope alive.” Let’s do it!

and her son lived through the drought. Here we see why we cannot live on yesterday’s manna! In other words, life brings its challenges, and most often, we need to refresh our thinking and understanding of how God is participating in our daily lives!

Elijah’s earlier provision of bread was no longer sufficient for her present need, but God has not changed. Instead, through Elijah’s seeking God’s healing, life resumed in the child.

Communion bread represents God giving Godself as a staple, a necessary element in life. However, God incarnate reminds us that communing with God is more than eating the element. Relational being with God requires a perpetual memory of God’s goodness, mercy, grace, and provision for our life, including power.

Through God incarnate, we read and experience what our relationship with God can and should be!

Jesus is God’s provision for our salvation. In the case of Elijah and the widow, without the Word made flesh, God provided them with the same healing and restorative process. Salvation creates sacred spaces for us to commune with God and live without the threat of unchecked evil. Racism is a product of evil stored in the souls of those who wish to destroy us as a people. We must cling to the sacredness of salvation, protecting us from unchecked evil.