One Man's Journey Through Interfaith Confusion

I was running errands today in my neighborhood and I saw this posted on the sign outside the Congregational Church:

Ideology divides us. Dreams and anguish unite us.

Is it just me, or is that a weird sentiment? Quite possibly true, but the phrasing is just so odd. "Anguish"? Just in time for the holidays...

But I'm willing to cut them some slack, signagewise. Protestants are a minority in my neighborhood (which is mostly Jewish and Catholic), and I've always got a soft spot for the underdog.

But anguish? Couldn't we have something a little more hopeful? Couldn't we get all unite-y without the anguish?

Then, I was walking past the shul, and it has this enormous iron Chanukkiyah outside and all the lights are lit up. And I start to panic, thinking that I've maybe blacked out for a couple of days or something.

But then a car drove by with a giant rooftop candelabra with two lights yet to be lit, and I felt slightly reassured.

These cartop Chanukkiyahs always crack me up, though. But you gotta do something to represent, I guess.

Then I was walking back home, and I noticed that several of the houses that have the year-round yard shrines--you know the ones I mean? the bathtub Madonnas?--don't have any Christmas decorations. That strikes me as odd.

Anyway, Happy Chrismukkah one and all!