When I was a child, we hung up a homemade blue banner every Chanukah. It read, “Not by might, nor by power, but by my spirit.” The quote came from the Old Testament.

At this time of the year, partly because of the holidays, but also because our world (global and personal) is mired in economic, health and environmental crises, I am thinking about spirit.

It reminds me that although some of the people at the top are selling senate seats, making wars, supporting maniacal dictators, and others at the bottom are behaving badly and acting like narcissistic grade school bullies, the rest of us – which is most of us – get up in the morning, go to work, pay our bills, treat each other fairly, practice kindness and generally move forward with quiet courage. During this season and throughout the year, I hope that all of us can hold on to the spirit that will allow us to build a world that is safe, kind and peaceful for all of us.

Happy Chanukah!