It is Christmas Day, and I find myself reading an in-depth article by Dr. Rabbi Amy-Jill Levine on the deep links between the story of Jesus and Judaism.

Rabbi Levine has written extensively about the relationship between Jewish biblical texts and Christian texts, especially the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, and Luke. Her scholarship is impeccable. And yet, as I read, my mind drifted—spiraling through time to the present moment, when we tend to assume that our two religions are irreconcilably different.

That was not always so. In the earliest days of Christianity, the first followers of Jesus understood themselves as Jews following what they believed to be the promised Messiah. To join their community, outsiders were expected to convert to Judaism.

That period was brief. Soon our paths diverged, with consequences that were profound and enduring—among them, the emergence of a virulent anti-Jewish attitude that has echoed through history.

Setting aside today’s antisemitism—which I tend to ascribe less to theology than to a broader hatred of the Other—Judaism and Christianity now exist side by side, if sometimes precariously so.

And yet, despite our differences, on this day I find myself lingering on our similarities. The winter solstice has just passed. The days will now grow longer, though the change will be slow. For now, the nights remain long and dark.

Both Jews and Christians respond by increasing light—both physical and spiritual. I can’t speak for everyone, but I know that my neighbors and I appreciate the light that we spread together, in our homes and in our hearts.

I love Christmas lights. I love bright, festive neighborhoods. I love knowing that during this cold and dark season, the people around me are making a shared effort to bring light into a world that can often feel dim and empty.

I love my Christian neighbors and friends, and especially the Christian clergy with whom I have built meaningful and sustaining relationships. I am grateful for them, and I know they are grateful for my presence in their lives.

I love Christmas, though it is not my holiday. I rejoice not because of shared belief, but because of shared humanity—because of the joy it brings to so many lives, the light it shines into so many hearts.

May we continue to bring light into the lives of all around us.