Diwali, a Hindu celebration of light

On November 12, Hindus around the world celebrate Diwali. It is the Hindu festival of lights, commemorated by over a billion people. It is one of the most important festivals in India, and is also celebrated by Hindus in other countries, such as Nepal, Mauritius, Trinidad and Tobago, and the U.S.

This year, Diwali has special significance to Edgewater Presbyterian Church because we are home to a couple of Nepali community programs. One of them is a senior citizen gathering each Saturday and Sunday just across from our Sanctuary.

Many in the Nepalese community in Chicago are practicing Hindus.

We, as Christians, share many similarities with the Diwali holiday.

In fact, the tradition we share in celebrating light versus dark comes from our Jewish roots. We believe that God overcomes the darkness in which evil likes to shroud itself.

This symbolism is found in the miracle of Hanukkah—where God made a little bit of oil last for the many nights needed to purify the temple defiled by foreign invaders to Jerusalem.

The symbolism is also found when we get rid of old candles and burn new ones on the night before Easter—which coincides with springtime coming and the sun proclaiming the reign of warmth over the darkness and cold.

We share in the Hindu celebration of the victory of good versus evil. Diwali commemorated the triumph of Rama over the demon king Ravana. Christians celebrate the ultimate defeat of evil by Jesus’ death, his descending into Hell to claim authority, and resurrection into new life.

One of the central themes of Diwali is the bringing together of family and highlighting the importance of community. Like Diwali, at Christmas and Easter, we like to bring our families together to revisit each other and keep our bonds close and tight, as best we can. In both traditions, we also like to do this over food.

Charity is an important part of celebrating Diwali—just as we try not to forget the poor during Christmas, the season of Lent, and on Easter. Hindus often donate to their temples and give to charitable organizations to help those who are less fortunate—even to help non-Hindus. As Christians, we emphasize giving to our local food pantries like Care For Real and the Greater Chicago Food Depository, or giving money to church mission programs.

It is important to consider our similarities with our Hindu sisters and brothers. Our religions may be different but we believe in the same basic things—that we each can be a source of light in the many darknesses of the world, that we can overcome evil with the goodness of what we do and how we feel in our hearts, and that these things can be done as family and through charity.

Happy Diwali to all.