A dear friend has crafted a beautiful Hanukkiah for me. In keeping with tradition, it proudly displays 9 candles, but mine symbolize the 9 fruits of the Holy Spirit.

Love / Ahava

Joy

Peace

Patience

Kindness / Chesed

Goodness

Faithfulness

Gentleness

Self-control

The central candle in the menorah, from which all others are lit, is known as the shamash – the servant or helper. Kindness or Chesed is positioned at the center. One might wonder, why is kindness chosen as the center instead of love?

The Hebrew word translated as kindness is Chesed, which does not have a direct equivalent in English. Chesed offers valuable insights into the character of God and provides a glimpse into His redemptive plan.

Our Western mentality places a strong emphasis on feelings and emotions, causing us to find it challenging to grasp the concept of chesed, which involves taking action to assist someone in need.

The term Chesed encompasses a range of attributes, including lovingkindness, mercy, strength, grace, purity, devotion, loyalty, tenderness, compassion, and steadfastness. However, none of these individual attributes can fully capture the essence of Chesed. Chesed represents the complete character of our Creator.

Our ultimate aspiration is Chesed, the embodiment of the fruits of the Spirit that we all aspire to manifest and show to the world. Chesed represents a kindness that surpasses our limited understanding of human experiences, emotions, actions, and sentiments.

In this moment of celebrating His deliverance, hope, and our trust in Him, we are graciously reminded of His abundant loving kindness towards us. As we transfer the flame from the shamash to the remaining candles for eight consecutive nights, we take a moment to contemplate our own lives.

On day 1 we lit candle 1: Love / Ahava .

The Bible teaches us about different types / facets of love: love for our Creator, love for our neighbours, love for strangers, love for the dispossessed, love for ourselves, and romantic love. In Western culture, we often prioritise romantic love because of our emphasis on emotions and media influences from fairy tales.

Love is like a cut diamond. It has many facets. Love can transform the hardest stone into a shiny gem. However, this transformation is a process.

1. An expert examines the rough diamond to determine the correct cut. No two diamonds are alike.
2. The cleaving process comes next. In the past, a different diamond was used to create a groove (before laser technology).
3. The stone is prepared to be sawed. A bronze blade can enter the groove to remove all the weaknesses in the stone.
4. Now that the weaknesses have been addressed, the shaping process can begin.
5. The stone is faceted using discs dusted with diamond. This meticulous process is carried out by skilled hands and involves continuous inspection. Faceting the stone plays a crucial role in determining the ultimate appearance of the diamond.
6. The process of faceting often results in sharp edges on the rounded surface. To achieve a smoother finish, two diamonds are placed in a bruting machine where they are bumped against each other. This action helps to round and smooth out the edges.
7. The piece is now prepared for polishing with diamond dust, which will enhance its ability to reflect light and shine brilliantly for everyone to admire.

When we surrender our lives to Father and declare Him as our King, we present Him with a rough stone for His inspection. He possesses the ability to perceive its true potential, and with genuine, untainted love, He initiates a plan to transform us into radiant gems. In doing so, we become vessels of His image and can radiate His pure love to everyone around us.

He cleaves our hearts by circumcising it. With circumcised hearts we stand prepared to enter the outer court of His presence. It is here that a bronze instrument skilfully removes the damages and broken layers that obscure the purity within us, like a hidden gem. We confront the baggage we have accumulated throughout our lives, facing it head-on within the confines of the bronze laver. As we gaze upon our true reflections, we are filled with a readiness to sacrifice ourselves upon the bronze altar, allowing the flames to consume all that lacks Kingdom Value.

After the cutting process the Gem cutter begins by faceting the diamond and then proceeds to polish it. This meticulous process is carried out in small sections, with each interaction being closely examined. A disc coated with diamond dust, collected from other diamonds that have undergone the same procedure, is used at every step.

In the realm of the Gem Cutter, we find ourselves anchored yet moulded by those who surround us. It is through the collective experiences of our fellow believers that we are shaped and refined, like precious gems, to reveal our true brilliance.

Once you believe that you have achieved perfection and refinement, there comes a moment when He guides you through a bruting machine. The purpose is not to inflict punishment upon you, but rather to eliminate any sharp edges that could potentially harm others. This process typically involves the presence of another individual, such as a mentor or a trusted friend. Although it may resemble a boxing match, with two diamonds colliding, its true intention is to shape and mould us, ultimately making us more well-rounded individuals.

We will resume polishing after this, followed by the meticulous examination of the gemmologist’s expert eye. This is not a simple shine check; each facet is thoroughly inspected one by one. Our love for our Creator, love for our neighbours, love for strangers, love for the dispossessed, and love for ourselves and more – all these aspects need to be refined to perfection in order for us to truly grasp the profound depths of His love for us.

All to the Glory of our Creater , our King!

To be continued …….