This year, Yom Kippur takes place from the evening of Wednesday, October 1 to the evening of Thursday, October 2. What is Yom Kippur? In simplest terms, it is a day of atonement — a time to fast, to pray, to ask for forgiveness, and to repent.
I am not Jewish, but this Holy Day fascinates me; not only for what it stands for, but also for the time of year it takes place. There are so many ways that all of us can learn and grow from this long-held Jewish tradition!
A day of atonement can also be considered a day of “at-ONE-ment” – a concentrated time when we can do our best to be at ONE with the force of LOVE who created & sustains us!
What can we do as an effort to be at ONE with the Creator? We can fast from meals for the day. (Some consider cutting out indulgences as a type of fast.) We can pray or meditate – taking time to speak with the Creator or to simply listen for inner messages from the Creator!
We can ask for forgiveness for all the ways we have “missed the mark” in the past year. For me, part of forgiveness is also extending forgiveness to others, whether they ask for that forgiveness or not. We can also repent. What does it mean to repent? Truly, at its core, it’s kind of simple. To repent means to change your mind or change your direction — turning away from past actions and to simply act differently.
The process that we are invited into during Yom Kippur invites us to reconsider things in our lives — and to change.
I love this time of year. In October, we can choose to go through the Yom Kippur process on October 1 & 2, or we can make it a month-long process.
Then comes November. A time which nationally we choose to stop and give thanks! This month, even though I’m not Jewish, I will participate in the spirit of Yom Kippur in preparation for our month of Thanksgiving! Want to join me?
