Why do you work? Save money? Nurture family and friends? Help strangers? Prepare for the future? Humans have always been driven by a sense of purpose, and the changing light patterns of December bring philosophical thoughts into focus. Recently an

Why do you work? Save money? Nurture family and friends? Help strangers? Prepare for the future? Humans have always been driven by a sense of purpose, and the changing light patterns of December bring philosophical thoughts into focus.

Recently an atheist on a talk show derided the existence of God, citing “the religious myth of an invisible man in the sky who runs everything.” Yet since ancient times, man recognized a higher power in the changing light patterns of the seasons. Belief in a supreme being brings meaning and purpose to all we do. What goes through the mind of an atheist as he or she ages and faces the reality of decline and the certainty of death? Compared to such a hopeless scenario, preferable is the promise of the December religious celebrations, Hanukkah, Advent and Christmas. And they are celebrations!

The winter solstice, this year December 21, marks the shortest day and the longest night of the year in the northern hemisphere. The summer solstice, maximum light in the northern hemisphere and the shortest day in the southern hemisphere, will occur June 21, 2015.

The doubting atheist ignores the power of observation when it comes to reasoning as to the existence of God. The solstice is an observable astronomical phenomenon. As the earth tilts on its axis and follows its orbit around the sun, the northern hemisphere faces the sun for half the year, summer, and angles away from the sun for half the year, winter. As one hemisphere experiences winter the other welcomes summer.

Since the seasons are a function of cause and effect, we cite Thomas Aquinas and his masterwork Summa Theologica. Saint Aquinas was a Dominican friar, philosopher, theologian, the foremost classical proponent of natural theology. Look around. The existence of God is observable in nature if one applies logic and reason.

We know there is an astronomical cause for changing light patterns. Noted Aquinas, since we see a daily and seasonal causal sequence, we reason to the truth that there is an efficient cause for everything and nothing can be a cause of itself. To regress to infinity in efficient causes makes no sense. It’s like asking the “chicken and egg” question ad infinitum. Take away the cause, you take away the effect. If there is no first cause, there can be no effect. Our earth was placed in a delicate balance relative to our sun and other planets, spinning and tilting to produce day and night and seasonal changes. If there was no first cause of all we observe in planetary motion, there could have been no follow-on causes and effects. The only explanation is a First Cause that set it all in motion, one that depends on nothing for its existence. It always was, it always will be. It is eternal. The First Cause exists, God.

Ancient man acknowledged a higher power that governed the natural order. There were gods before there was God, and light has long played a role in worship. Around the December solstice the Incas held a festival honoring the sun god. “Yule,” referring to Christmas, comes from the Norse word for jól, a pre-Christian winter solstice celebration.

While Christmas is celebrated on December 25th, the exact date for the birth of Christ is uncertain. It is believed that the date was chosen to banish the influence of Saturnalia, a seven day late December ancient Roman festival known for excess and debauchery. Gifts were given, wine flowed freely, and bonfires and candles created light reminiscent of pagan solstice ceremonies.

Celebrating Christ as “the light of the world,” Advent and Christmas makes use of candles and lights. Hanukkah, this year from December 16 to December 24, celebrates a miracle that took place after the liberation of the temple in Jeruselem. The menorah, meant to burn every night, only had sufficient oil for one day. Instead, the oil lasted eight days. Remembering the rededication of the temple, Hanukkah, the Festival of Lights, is observed by lighting of the menorah each day over eight days.

In the celebrations of December, gifting is more important than getting. Perhaps we see light, warmth, love, and fellowship as the real gift. In meditating on the wonder of the First Cause, perhaps we can see the point of why we are here as we pray for doubters and skeptics.

Lewis Walker is President of Walker Capital Management, LLC. Certain advisory services offered through The Strategic Financial Alliance, Inc. (SFA). Lewis Walker is a registered representative of SFA which is otherwise unaffiliated with Walker Capital Management, LLC. lewisw@theinvestmentcoach.com

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