Up and Coming Weekly is a weekly publication in Fayetteville, NC and Fort Bragg, NC area offering local news, views, arts, entertainment and community event and business information.
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WWW.UPANDCOMINGWEEKLY.COM DECEMBER 21 - 27, 2022 UCW 19 FAITH DAN DEBRULER, General Manager, WCLN. Comments? Editor@upand- comingweekly.com. 910-484-6200. Family additions remind us of God's unconditional love by DAN DEBRULER As the 95-pound ball of energy rushed past me — nearly knocking me over as I let him back in after his morning patrol — I almost forgot there was a time we'd have been joined by a leash for the entirety of this ritual. Dog people understand; there's something to be learned in every day we spend with our four-legged friends. In the time he's been in our family, I've learned a lot about life, love and healing from Champ. e longer I walk this earth, the more aware I've become that people give up too soon, too often. We prefer reward without the contest, promotion without effort, and accolades with- out genuine accomplishment. Someone gave up too soon on this big bundle of loyalty that shadows me wherever I go in the house. Perhaps they failed to be there when he brought the ball back, or to patiently correct him when he got the sandwich that was sitting pretty much at eye level on the counter. Or maybe whoever dropped him off as an un- manageable pet had simply lost interest when he sprouted those long legs and began testing them to see how fast he could get from one place to the next. I don't know. What I do know is that rescuing Champ from a no-kill shelter is what all three of us needed. We had just lost his predecessor to old age and our son to an act of senseless violence when Champ came into our home to remind me that relationships worth having are worth exponentially more than the effort we ap- ply to growing them. Among other things, this crazy dog has taught me a lot about how God must see us — His unruly-but- worth-the-effort children. When we applied to adopt him, we were grilled by the shelter staff who implied we might be too old for a dog of Champ's stature. ey suggested he might require too much attention, discipline or strength to make it with us. After the second or third doggy welfare call, I assured them he wasn't our dog — he was a member of the family. I believe our relationship with God is a lot like all of this. We come to Him with all our quirks and habits, and He takes us in knowing we have greater potential than we're given credit for. As we learn that what He wants to do is love us, and nothing we do can make Him love us less, we begin to calm and grow into the relationship to the point the thing that gives us the most joy and greatest sense of comfort and belonging is to simply sit at God's feet and adore Him. God makes Himself known in so many ways. From each breath we breathe to the stunning sunsets that take it away, the wonder of God and His creation should never fail to stun us. Merry Christmas … hope has come! God makes himself known to us in many ways, from sunsets to the com- panionship of our four-legged friends. Decorative holiday symbols add to seasonal celebrations a STAFF REPORT Decorating homes and other spaces is a ma- jor component of the holiday season for many. Holiday decorations often reflect celebrants' religious beliefs, and the following are some traditional holiday decor symbols for people of various faiths. Christmas tree Christian or secular Christmas symbol Few things evoke thoughts of Christmas time quite like a towering evergreen parked front and center in a home's picture window. Christ- mas trees are believed to date back to sixteenth century Germany. e custom ultimately ar- rived in America when the country welcomed an influx of German immigrants. It is widely believed that various non-Christian cultures may have used evergreen plants indoors in celebration of the winter solstice, which sug- gests Christmas trees may pre-date Christian symbolism. Menorah Jewish Chanukah symbol Menorahs are seven-armed candelabras used in Jewish religious worship. To mark the Chanukah celebration, a special nine-armed hanukkiah is displayed for eight days and nights. A candle is lit each day to commemo- rate the miracle of oil lasting in the rededicated Temple after the Maccabees' successful upris- ing against the Syrian Greeks. e menorah typically is placed in a highly visible spot, such as the front window of a home or in a high- traffic living space. Advent wreath Roman Catholic, Anglican and Lutheran, among others, Christian symbol e Advent wreath is used by various Chris- tian denominations and draws attention to the weeks preceding Christmas. A new candle is lit on the wreath each Sunday at mass to prepare the faithful to receive the Lord Jesus. Kinara and Mishumaa Saba Kwanzaa cultural symbol e Kinara (candle holder) and the Mishu- maa Samba (the seven candles) are symbolic of Kwanzaa. e candles and holder represent the Seven Principles, or the minimum set of values by which African people are urged to live. Baby New Year Secular symbol Baby New Year is a popular promotional symbol used to commemorate the dawn of a new year. e baby represents rebirth and may be traced back to the ancient Greeks or Egyp- tians. Historians say the Greeks believed that their god of wine, Dionysus, was reborn on New Year's Day as the spirit of fertility. While people may not decorate with Baby New Year figurines, they do participate in "First Baby" competi- tions, which celebrate those infants born in the opening moments of a new year. Nativity scene Christian Christmas symbol It's customary for nativity scenes to be included in Christmas decor schemes. e nativity depicts the birth of Christ and typically includes a manger, Mary, Joseph, shepherds, various animals, an angel, and the three visiting Magi. e infant Jesus also is included, though some people prefer to wait until after the stroke of midnight on Christmas Eve to place Jesus in the manger. Live nativity scenes also are commonplace around Christmas. Saint Francis of Assisi is credited with creating the first live nativity scene in 1223. e Nativity depicting the infant Jesus is common decor in Chris- tian homes during the holiday season.