Rabbi Irwin Wiener, D.D.
The New Year we are about to celebrate affords us the opportunity to pause and reflect and even contemplate. So much has happened in one year. Lives are lost, births are recorded and in between we travel into unknown areas – places we haven’t been to before. There is excitement as well as hesitation – a fear of the unknown.
A New Year also gives us time to rededicate our spiritual selves. It is a time to think about relationships, missed opportunities. We know that bonding and connecting help us make life livable and rewarding. Our lives are cemented by love and understanding with friends, family and sweethearts.
Even when we lose a loved one, we somehow, through the experience of this season, find comfort and courage. One day we wrote the name of someone we held dear on the sands of time and then it was washed away. Some are fortunate to be able to write a new name and just as many never seem to find the energy or the desire to write again. All this becomes part of the experience of our spiritual journey.
This time of the year seems to produce melancholy and despondency. Instead of rejoicing as another years rolls around we concentrate on what was and we tend to go through the motions of gladness. We should remember that just as the trees shed their leaves in the winter and sleep, we too go through certain emptiness. But then comes spring and summer and a time of re-birth. – and all is right. Even those of us who lost our true love or a loving parent or a child, have memories – but those memories should sustain us and give us renewed strength. Life goes on and we owe it to ourselves and those left behind to continue because life is to live even as we mourn.
A New Year enables us to garner our strength and bring a new sense of purpose to our existence. A New Year connects us to life as we remember the past. A New Year helps us understand the beauty of life, while not forgetting those who are no longer a part of everyday living.
A New Year endows us with ability understand that time is a healer and our best friend in the entire world is God. A New Year should teach us that doing evil to another human being is worse than doing evil to God.
Sometimes we find it so difficult to fathom God and our place in the universe. We become so cynical because of all that happens or doesn’t happen. It is ironic that people of faith sometimes lose that faith. It is so difficult to remember that we have so much to be thankful for – family, friends – more importantly – life! Instead we look for scapegoats for our sometimes self-inflicted misery. We seem to be so sure that God is nowhere to be found because there is so much ugliness. How can there be a God and also such agony? We constantly blame God for our misfortune and all the while we create such unhappiness by not allowing love to be part of our daily experience.
God is here! God is everywhere! All we have to do is look around us to see the beauty of nature, or the birth of a child, or the colors of the rainbow, the breathtaking view of the horizon as the sun rises and sets. Just watch a bird soar through the sky and know that God is there to lift us to greater heights of ecstasy through intimacy and sharing.
We should be reminded that we need to learn and reflect to the best of our capacity, and when we reach a point where we are unable to make sense of life, we should supplant understanding with faith. We must have faith in tomorrow and our ability to meet each day with joy and thankfulness. And just when we think we have lost all faith and seem to have been abandoned by God, we should love God even more. We do no less for a friend or family member – we have unconditional love for a child – how much more so for God who gave us the ability to love so completely.
Perhaps, at this beginning of a New Year we should reinforce our belief in the Creator who created us and is a guide to all creatures, that He alone makes and will make everything – that He is unique and only he is God – who was, who is and who will always be.
Perhaps we will awaken in us the faith needed to comprehend this time and what it can offer us so that we will face tomorrow with greater anticipation. After all this is a time of faith and healing and dreaming. This is what a New Year is all about. And dreams do come true if you believe.
Friday, July 25, 2008
Thursday, July 17, 2008
Retire From Jobs, Not From Life
Rabbi Irwin Wiener, D.D.
There is a segment of the population that now finds itself in a different situation. Namely retirement.
The generation of retirement age, for the most part, is settled. Many have done their share over the years: raised a family, supported charitable endeavors, involvement in community activities. And now there are the twilight years.
It is not that simple. As an example: We must remain part of our community because when the need arises for civic pride and neighborly support, we will turn to each other for the comfort that comes with such participation.
Retirement from life is not part of the equation of settling in. Birth, we know, is a beginning and death a destination; but life, well that is a journey, a continuous journey with each stage in our development.
We travel this journey from the beginning, through our childhood and hopefully to maturity. Part of that journey includes an awareness and discretion and hopefully wisdom. And just as there are speed bumps on the highways of our travels so too life has its twists and turns that can bring weakness and despair. But these bumps, these detours should remind us to slow down and sense all that is around us.
There is victory along the way because we take the time to realize that this journey of life is also a sacred pilgrimage. There is defeat but there is also the start of a new day with all its wonders and mysteries. And we should approach these experiences with renewed strength.
We represent a generation that was in the forefront of human decency. We took our responsibilities seriously by nurturing those institutions representing the dignity of the human spirit. Sometimes, though, we forget.
We forget, as well, that there is this great country called America. Some say that it doesn’t need as much from us as it once did. The truth of the matter is
America needs our involvement more than ever. We need this connection as we did in the past.
We are a faith-based people. And because we are we have an added responsibility to ensure that the generations that follow understand that the very fabric of our existence is woven into our relationship with the Divine.
We forget how fragile our society is. We need to repair this tear in the world because we need the world and the world needs us.
Recent events should help us understand that the past brought us to today. Being settled in gives us added responsibilities. They include continuing to do and encouraging everyone else to do as well. We may be tired but we cannot rest.
When we feel threatened we are calmed with the knowledge that our community will respond. When we pray, we connect to God. When we do good things, we connect to one another. We cannot retire from life.
A story is told of a time and place where people could not bend their arms. Because of this they could not lift food to their mouths. Slowly, but surely, people died from the lack of nourishment. Then one person discovered that if he reached for the food with his outstretched arm he could carry the food and feed another person until one by one all realized that carrying the food and feeding each other was the formula for survival.
This is the message of respect for the sanctity of life and our sacred obligation to lend a helping hand to everyone in need. Retirement does not relieve us of this obligation. We cannot retire from life.
There is a segment of the population that now finds itself in a different situation. Namely retirement.
The generation of retirement age, for the most part, is settled. Many have done their share over the years: raised a family, supported charitable endeavors, involvement in community activities. And now there are the twilight years.
It is not that simple. As an example: We must remain part of our community because when the need arises for civic pride and neighborly support, we will turn to each other for the comfort that comes with such participation.
Retirement from life is not part of the equation of settling in. Birth, we know, is a beginning and death a destination; but life, well that is a journey, a continuous journey with each stage in our development.
We travel this journey from the beginning, through our childhood and hopefully to maturity. Part of that journey includes an awareness and discretion and hopefully wisdom. And just as there are speed bumps on the highways of our travels so too life has its twists and turns that can bring weakness and despair. But these bumps, these detours should remind us to slow down and sense all that is around us.
There is victory along the way because we take the time to realize that this journey of life is also a sacred pilgrimage. There is defeat but there is also the start of a new day with all its wonders and mysteries. And we should approach these experiences with renewed strength.
We represent a generation that was in the forefront of human decency. We took our responsibilities seriously by nurturing those institutions representing the dignity of the human spirit. Sometimes, though, we forget.
We forget, as well, that there is this great country called America. Some say that it doesn’t need as much from us as it once did. The truth of the matter is
America needs our involvement more than ever. We need this connection as we did in the past.
We are a faith-based people. And because we are we have an added responsibility to ensure that the generations that follow understand that the very fabric of our existence is woven into our relationship with the Divine.
We forget how fragile our society is. We need to repair this tear in the world because we need the world and the world needs us.
Recent events should help us understand that the past brought us to today. Being settled in gives us added responsibilities. They include continuing to do and encouraging everyone else to do as well. We may be tired but we cannot rest.
When we feel threatened we are calmed with the knowledge that our community will respond. When we pray, we connect to God. When we do good things, we connect to one another. We cannot retire from life.
A story is told of a time and place where people could not bend their arms. Because of this they could not lift food to their mouths. Slowly, but surely, people died from the lack of nourishment. Then one person discovered that if he reached for the food with his outstretched arm he could carry the food and feed another person until one by one all realized that carrying the food and feeding each other was the formula for survival.
This is the message of respect for the sanctity of life and our sacred obligation to lend a helping hand to everyone in need. Retirement does not relieve us of this obligation. We cannot retire from life.
Wednesday, July 16, 2008
Deeds and Actions
Rabbi Irwin Wiener, D.D.
Each year, during the summer, I begin to think about the High Holidays that follow in the fall. Somehow my year is centered on holidays and not everyday happenings. During each celebration I begin to concentrate on the next holiday and then before I realize it the year has passed.
This year is no exception. Summer is here and my efforts are devoted to preparing for the ultimate season – the season of introspection and renewal – the High Holidays.
I am reminded of a story about the Ba’al Shem Tov and how one day during class he dwelt on the subject of preaching, emphasizing that an effective rabbi is one who delivers sermons in which lessons will be learned and life’s meaning revealed.
After the class, the Great Sage approached one of his students and extended and invitation to him to accompany the rabbi as he traveled and preached. The student was overjoyed. To preach with the Master – how wonderful! What an opportunity!
They set out on their journey, and along the way, the rabbi stopped at the home of a widow. The rabbi and his student chopped wood for the elderly woman and took care of her livestock. As they left the grateful woman, the student asked his rabbi why he had not preached to her? The Ba’al Shem Tov told his student not to worry.
Continuing on, they stopped in a village to visit another congregant. They found the person lying in bed, sick, unable to fend for himself. Again the rabbi and his student did chores. They prepared food for the ailing man and even fed him. And again, as they left, the student asked why his rabbi had not preached? And again, the Ba’al Shem Tov assured his student that there was no cause for concern.
At the end of a full day, after the good rabbi and his student had tended to many others in need, the frustration was even more prominent. Again the student questioned why there had been no preaching? Finally, the Ba’al Shem Tov gently admonished, “What do you think we have been doing all day?”
This story illustrates the thoughts that run through my mind each year at this time. The deeds, not the words really matter. The magic of good deeds and the value of actions far outweigh any words that may be spoken. And yet we cannot be expected to perform these acts of loving-kindness if we are not prodded by words. So if words lead to action then preaching is important.
That is precisely what the High Holiday season is designed to accomplish. We are steered through a process that enables us to understand the meaning of the words. We are encouraged to participate in an effort that can and should lead to personal satisfaction. We are elevated to a level of sanctification unimaginable because we can reach such a place. We are able to make holiness a reality because of our desire to be good and noble. We can concentrate on feeling good about ourselves because we are good and this time allows us to say so. We can do all these things and more because collectively we gather our thoughts and express them aloud in prayer and meditation.
We start with Selichot – a time set aside to begin the process of self-examination. We travel to Rosh Hashanah – a time to search our inner being; to bring to the surface those attributes which allow us a moment of blessing. We move to Yom Kippur – a time to sort the past from the present as we prepare for the future. And we listen to the sound of Shofar – the piercing sound of a call to action. And we are cleansed and know that we have been successful in our quest for acceptance.
But the day after is the most important part of this season: Understanding what was said through prayer and supplication. Expressions that need to be translated into deeds and actions. Charity needs to be dispensed. Participation in worthwhile endeavors. Reunion of family. Forgiveness of ill spoken words. Remembering milestone celebrations. Simple expression of love. All these things can bring us the salvation we search for during this period and beyond.
Perhaps it is too much to expect of ourselves. Perhaps we are not capable of accomplishing all these things. Not to worry. There is always tomorrow. And that is what this time allows us: The opportunity to be what we think we should be and then to keep trying even when our failings remind us of our fallibility.
Yes, the summer is here. The season of our elevation to impossible heights is around the corner. Now is the time to think about deeds and actions.
Each year, during the summer, I begin to think about the High Holidays that follow in the fall. Somehow my year is centered on holidays and not everyday happenings. During each celebration I begin to concentrate on the next holiday and then before I realize it the year has passed.
This year is no exception. Summer is here and my efforts are devoted to preparing for the ultimate season – the season of introspection and renewal – the High Holidays.
I am reminded of a story about the Ba’al Shem Tov and how one day during class he dwelt on the subject of preaching, emphasizing that an effective rabbi is one who delivers sermons in which lessons will be learned and life’s meaning revealed.
After the class, the Great Sage approached one of his students and extended and invitation to him to accompany the rabbi as he traveled and preached. The student was overjoyed. To preach with the Master – how wonderful! What an opportunity!
They set out on their journey, and along the way, the rabbi stopped at the home of a widow. The rabbi and his student chopped wood for the elderly woman and took care of her livestock. As they left the grateful woman, the student asked his rabbi why he had not preached to her? The Ba’al Shem Tov told his student not to worry.
Continuing on, they stopped in a village to visit another congregant. They found the person lying in bed, sick, unable to fend for himself. Again the rabbi and his student did chores. They prepared food for the ailing man and even fed him. And again, as they left, the student asked why his rabbi had not preached? And again, the Ba’al Shem Tov assured his student that there was no cause for concern.
At the end of a full day, after the good rabbi and his student had tended to many others in need, the frustration was even more prominent. Again the student questioned why there had been no preaching? Finally, the Ba’al Shem Tov gently admonished, “What do you think we have been doing all day?”
This story illustrates the thoughts that run through my mind each year at this time. The deeds, not the words really matter. The magic of good deeds and the value of actions far outweigh any words that may be spoken. And yet we cannot be expected to perform these acts of loving-kindness if we are not prodded by words. So if words lead to action then preaching is important.
That is precisely what the High Holiday season is designed to accomplish. We are steered through a process that enables us to understand the meaning of the words. We are encouraged to participate in an effort that can and should lead to personal satisfaction. We are elevated to a level of sanctification unimaginable because we can reach such a place. We are able to make holiness a reality because of our desire to be good and noble. We can concentrate on feeling good about ourselves because we are good and this time allows us to say so. We can do all these things and more because collectively we gather our thoughts and express them aloud in prayer and meditation.
We start with Selichot – a time set aside to begin the process of self-examination. We travel to Rosh Hashanah – a time to search our inner being; to bring to the surface those attributes which allow us a moment of blessing. We move to Yom Kippur – a time to sort the past from the present as we prepare for the future. And we listen to the sound of Shofar – the piercing sound of a call to action. And we are cleansed and know that we have been successful in our quest for acceptance.
But the day after is the most important part of this season: Understanding what was said through prayer and supplication. Expressions that need to be translated into deeds and actions. Charity needs to be dispensed. Participation in worthwhile endeavors. Reunion of family. Forgiveness of ill spoken words. Remembering milestone celebrations. Simple expression of love. All these things can bring us the salvation we search for during this period and beyond.
Perhaps it is too much to expect of ourselves. Perhaps we are not capable of accomplishing all these things. Not to worry. There is always tomorrow. And that is what this time allows us: The opportunity to be what we think we should be and then to keep trying even when our failings remind us of our fallibility.
Yes, the summer is here. The season of our elevation to impossible heights is around the corner. Now is the time to think about deeds and actions.
Friday, July 11, 2008
A Spiritual Journey
Rabbi Irwin Wiener, D.D.
Spirituality incorporates character and responsibility. Spirituality includes a partnership with God that requires confrontation, not acceptance. We are required to question God because to do so enables us to understand the meaning of life. That is why we are called Israel: we struggle with the notion of God and are determined to comprehend the true essence of our relationship.
What is it that we question? Primarily we are concerned with the existence of evil. There has always been evil. There will always be evil. That is the eternal quest: to understand why there is evil and the part it plays in the elaborate road map called creation.
We are also romantics, always thinking that good will be the ultimate victor. The Psalmist and the Prophets talk about the time when all will be right with the world, and yet we, their progeny, are still grappling with the notion of right defeating might. We spend too much time on why and not enough on what.
It is not so important to analyze evil, but rather to accept that it exists and that there are times when the slate has to be made clean and a new beginning is necessary. And occasionally we regret having been part of the wickedness.
So the lesson here is that while we sometimes may feel righteous indignation, we cannot fully determine our role until we understand that we must try to be the best we are capable of being and that a partnership with God requires us to be a community of people concerned with survival. Our survival depends upon our relationship with each other and the word Tzibur (community) is derived from three (3) words: Tzadik, righteousness; Benoni, average; Rasha, evildoer. That is what makes a community: the presence of all three, good, bad and the in between.
And we need to take responsibility for our actions. Not be like Adam, when confronted by God about eating from the Tree of Knowledge, against God’s wishes, argues that he is blameless. “The woman made me do it.”
Not taking responsibility is contrary to the concept of Pekuach Nefesh (the respect for life). Not speaking out when we witness injustice is contrary to Pekuach Nefesh. We are responsible for each other and we need to be concerned about all that is around us because we cannot exist alone. If we are truly partners with God then we are obligated to act as a true partner, not as a passive accepting and fate filled participant.
That has been the calling of the Jewish people: to be guardians, promoters and messengers. We have been in the forefront of civil rights, unions, and anything that helps people live with dignity. We establish Chevra Kadishas (Burial Societies), Gemilut Hesed programs (Benevolent Societies), and Synagogues (Places of Learning) to enable humanity the ability to be productive and caring which is the hallmark of a reliable partnership with God.
We have a duty to follow the dictates of the pronouncement found in the Talmud that saving one person is tantamount to saving the entire world. We cannot be selfish and look only after ourselves. We must take a broader approach to ensure that life, as we know it, will continue. That is what partnership is all about. That is what Pekuach Nefesh is all about. We were created in the divine image and with that creation God has accomplished one part of the equation of partnership. Our effort should be the completion of the partnership: the survival of humanity, the survival of our planet.
If you think about it – it truly is a spiritual journey.
Spirituality incorporates character and responsibility. Spirituality includes a partnership with God that requires confrontation, not acceptance. We are required to question God because to do so enables us to understand the meaning of life. That is why we are called Israel: we struggle with the notion of God and are determined to comprehend the true essence of our relationship.
What is it that we question? Primarily we are concerned with the existence of evil. There has always been evil. There will always be evil. That is the eternal quest: to understand why there is evil and the part it plays in the elaborate road map called creation.
We are also romantics, always thinking that good will be the ultimate victor. The Psalmist and the Prophets talk about the time when all will be right with the world, and yet we, their progeny, are still grappling with the notion of right defeating might. We spend too much time on why and not enough on what.
It is not so important to analyze evil, but rather to accept that it exists and that there are times when the slate has to be made clean and a new beginning is necessary. And occasionally we regret having been part of the wickedness.
So the lesson here is that while we sometimes may feel righteous indignation, we cannot fully determine our role until we understand that we must try to be the best we are capable of being and that a partnership with God requires us to be a community of people concerned with survival. Our survival depends upon our relationship with each other and the word Tzibur (community) is derived from three (3) words: Tzadik, righteousness; Benoni, average; Rasha, evildoer. That is what makes a community: the presence of all three, good, bad and the in between.
And we need to take responsibility for our actions. Not be like Adam, when confronted by God about eating from the Tree of Knowledge, against God’s wishes, argues that he is blameless. “The woman made me do it.”
Not taking responsibility is contrary to the concept of Pekuach Nefesh (the respect for life). Not speaking out when we witness injustice is contrary to Pekuach Nefesh. We are responsible for each other and we need to be concerned about all that is around us because we cannot exist alone. If we are truly partners with God then we are obligated to act as a true partner, not as a passive accepting and fate filled participant.
That has been the calling of the Jewish people: to be guardians, promoters and messengers. We have been in the forefront of civil rights, unions, and anything that helps people live with dignity. We establish Chevra Kadishas (Burial Societies), Gemilut Hesed programs (Benevolent Societies), and Synagogues (Places of Learning) to enable humanity the ability to be productive and caring which is the hallmark of a reliable partnership with God.
We have a duty to follow the dictates of the pronouncement found in the Talmud that saving one person is tantamount to saving the entire world. We cannot be selfish and look only after ourselves. We must take a broader approach to ensure that life, as we know it, will continue. That is what partnership is all about. That is what Pekuach Nefesh is all about. We were created in the divine image and with that creation God has accomplished one part of the equation of partnership. Our effort should be the completion of the partnership: the survival of humanity, the survival of our planet.
If you think about it – it truly is a spiritual journey.
Thursday, July 10, 2008
What's In A Name
Rabbi Irwin Wiener, D.D.
I was amused recently while reading an article about faith in America. The article dealt mainly with the Christian response to God and the many ways of participating in prayers and acknowledgment of God’s goodness and greatness. One of the points made was that there are four (4) Gods: Authoritarian, Benevolent, Critical, and Distant. Each represented the perception people have about God and the part He plays in their daily lives, or not.
What amused me is that we also have different names for God: Shalom, Adonai, Elohim, and Shadai – in fact the Kabbalists insist that there are seven names for God. Each one of these names has a distinct meaning and purpose. Each name represents our human understanding of God. Interestingly enough though, we really never think in those terms (God’s different names) and think only of the name God.
It certainly is a subject for classroom discussion, even for Shabbat afternoon study. It certainly is not a subject that rears its head anytime we attempt to communicate with God whether in the synagogue or in our home or on a trip. It is difficult enough just to think about God as we entreat or supplicate ourselves or make requests that even we know are impossible to grant.
Well, that is what Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur, which we will be celebrating shortly, are all about: to concentrate on our relationship with one another and with God. Sometimes we find it hard to even imagine God let alone wonder about His existence and participation in our lives. We see so much evil and death and destruction and we begin to wonder if there is a God. We have difficulties in our lives that seem to be insurmountable and we question the value of prayer. We may not be tested like Job but we go through episodes that make us feel as though we are being tested or cursed.
There is no question that understanding the essence of God is so difficult that we surely put it out of our minds and go through the motions during this time of the year. There is something pulling us closer and yet we feel so distant. We wonder about the future all the while frightened by the present. As we age we want to appreciate the traditions and the symbols but we are trapped in our habits and we don’t want to try new ideas or broaden our scope of insight into new vistas.
That is the beauty of these days – it doesn’t matter whether we understand the meaning of God or the various names or the various meanings of these names. After all, in the final analysis, who can really fathom such notions? Our minds can never truly comprehend the vastness of it all. We know one thing – God is faith. God is the strength we garner to meet another day. God is the calm before and after the storms of life.
Whether God has four (4) names or seven (7) or even more is not important in participating in an experience which is unique.
God is a spirit, an idea. God is happiness and sorrow. God is children and grandchildren. God is love and hate. God is not a name but a thought, an expression of hope. God is what we make of our life and how we live it. God is facing the challenges that confront us and looking for that silver lining.
Yes, it is difficult to think of God. And yet, when things look bleak and trouble is at our doorstep, we do reach out and hope that the hand that lifts us from these trying times will be the hand of God. It is and can be – because God is in each of us and, as we reach out to lift someone from the depths that is God holding our hand, keeping it steady so that we are able to fulfill the dream of salvation and redemption.
The sum total of who we are can be found in the partnership that evolves so that a kiss or a smile, or a touch, or even a prayer, ennobles us and we are at one with God. The difficulty we have is knowing that we can act, we can find a place for ourselves, and we will remember that there are others around us who cry and laugh and are traveling the same road in search of meaning.
We utter prayers to fashion good from bad, to take reality into the sublime, to shape a blessing from nothingness, to sympathize, to eliminate hopelessness, to gain insight so that we can visualize the signs that are right in front of us, to be able to live our lives as they were meant to be lived – with trust and hope and caring.
All these thoughts enable us to understand all the names we use for God. The holidays of Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur help us understand that God, by any name, is there – all we need do is extend our hand.
May God find favor in our acts as we comprehend what the Prophets knew when they proclaimed that God wants us to be good as He is good, to be merciful as He is merciful, to deal justly as He deals justly – and to do all this with each other more than anything else we can do or say – and by whatever name you choose.
I was amused recently while reading an article about faith in America. The article dealt mainly with the Christian response to God and the many ways of participating in prayers and acknowledgment of God’s goodness and greatness. One of the points made was that there are four (4) Gods: Authoritarian, Benevolent, Critical, and Distant. Each represented the perception people have about God and the part He plays in their daily lives, or not.
What amused me is that we also have different names for God: Shalom, Adonai, Elohim, and Shadai – in fact the Kabbalists insist that there are seven names for God. Each one of these names has a distinct meaning and purpose. Each name represents our human understanding of God. Interestingly enough though, we really never think in those terms (God’s different names) and think only of the name God.
It certainly is a subject for classroom discussion, even for Shabbat afternoon study. It certainly is not a subject that rears its head anytime we attempt to communicate with God whether in the synagogue or in our home or on a trip. It is difficult enough just to think about God as we entreat or supplicate ourselves or make requests that even we know are impossible to grant.
Well, that is what Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur, which we will be celebrating shortly, are all about: to concentrate on our relationship with one another and with God. Sometimes we find it hard to even imagine God let alone wonder about His existence and participation in our lives. We see so much evil and death and destruction and we begin to wonder if there is a God. We have difficulties in our lives that seem to be insurmountable and we question the value of prayer. We may not be tested like Job but we go through episodes that make us feel as though we are being tested or cursed.
There is no question that understanding the essence of God is so difficult that we surely put it out of our minds and go through the motions during this time of the year. There is something pulling us closer and yet we feel so distant. We wonder about the future all the while frightened by the present. As we age we want to appreciate the traditions and the symbols but we are trapped in our habits and we don’t want to try new ideas or broaden our scope of insight into new vistas.
That is the beauty of these days – it doesn’t matter whether we understand the meaning of God or the various names or the various meanings of these names. After all, in the final analysis, who can really fathom such notions? Our minds can never truly comprehend the vastness of it all. We know one thing – God is faith. God is the strength we garner to meet another day. God is the calm before and after the storms of life.
Whether God has four (4) names or seven (7) or even more is not important in participating in an experience which is unique.
God is a spirit, an idea. God is happiness and sorrow. God is children and grandchildren. God is love and hate. God is not a name but a thought, an expression of hope. God is what we make of our life and how we live it. God is facing the challenges that confront us and looking for that silver lining.
Yes, it is difficult to think of God. And yet, when things look bleak and trouble is at our doorstep, we do reach out and hope that the hand that lifts us from these trying times will be the hand of God. It is and can be – because God is in each of us and, as we reach out to lift someone from the depths that is God holding our hand, keeping it steady so that we are able to fulfill the dream of salvation and redemption.
The sum total of who we are can be found in the partnership that evolves so that a kiss or a smile, or a touch, or even a prayer, ennobles us and we are at one with God. The difficulty we have is knowing that we can act, we can find a place for ourselves, and we will remember that there are others around us who cry and laugh and are traveling the same road in search of meaning.
We utter prayers to fashion good from bad, to take reality into the sublime, to shape a blessing from nothingness, to sympathize, to eliminate hopelessness, to gain insight so that we can visualize the signs that are right in front of us, to be able to live our lives as they were meant to be lived – with trust and hope and caring.
All these thoughts enable us to understand all the names we use for God. The holidays of Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur help us understand that God, by any name, is there – all we need do is extend our hand.
May God find favor in our acts as we comprehend what the Prophets knew when they proclaimed that God wants us to be good as He is good, to be merciful as He is merciful, to deal justly as He deals justly – and to do all this with each other more than anything else we can do or say – and by whatever name you choose.
Tuesday, July 8, 2008
Is There A Jewish Future?
Rabbi Irwin Wiener, D.D.
In a recent edition of the Jewish Voice and Opinion there is an article written by Catriel Sugarman, a researcher on Jewish issues, social critic and lecturer. The premise of his article titled “A Baker’s Dozen Predictions Based on Demographic Destiny”, is that Judaism, as practiced or not practiced in America, is doomed as is the Jewish People.
He then goes into the distinction between Orthodoxy, Conservatism, and Reform, occasionally injecting Recontructionism as well. His understanding of the demographics and their meaning is that in our lifetime it is conceivable that there will either remain Orthodoxy as the savior of the Jewish People because there would be a decrease in population and adherents by 2076, or at least very little growth. This means that whatever influence we have will also disappear and we will be a footnote in history.
He gives many reasons as to why this will happen. For example, the liberalism expressed by Reform Judaism will eventually dilute the essence of who we are. While Reform Judaism seems to be taking a turn to the right, it is not enough to stem the tide. Conservative Judaism has lost its meaning and with it the path as the middle man so to speak, thus the wedge between Orthodoxy and Reform. Orthodox Judaism, on the other hand, while it has some deficiencies, is the only answer to the salvation of the Jewish People because of its devotion to true observance.
This is most certainly a summary, as I understand the article, of his diatribe against anything and everything that does not contain complete observance of “pure” Judaism.
He writes some things that are worthy of discussion and concern. He alludes to a study made by Messrs Gordon and Horowitz (authors of “Will Your Grandchildren Be Jews’) that argues: “On the average, 100 Conservative Jews will have 29 Jewish great-grandchildren; 100 Reform Jews will have 10 Jewish great-grandchildren; and 100 “unaffiliated” Jews will have 7 great-grandchildren.” On the other hand, he continues, “100 ‘Modern Orthodox’ Jews will have, on average, 346 Jewish great-grandchildren and 100 ‘Orthodox’ will produce 2588 Jewish great-grandchildren.”
These are startling comments on the survival of the Jewish People in America. A professor of mine once said in class that figures never lie but liars figure. Not that I am calling Catriel Sugarman a liar, but the numbers game has been played throughout the history of the Jewish People. Each generation has announced doomsday and each generation has remained to give birth to the next.
Maimonides comes to mind and why he wrote his thirteen articles of faith. He wrote them for no other reason then to convince the authorities of his time that he was not a heretic or a disbeliever.
Spinoza was ostracized for his modern thinking, challenging everything and everyone. Anytime someone dared to stray from the accepted norm he was ridiculed and now we revere their thinking and their contributions to Jewish development.
I am reminded of a parable given by the Dubno Maggid in which he describes two types of people. One “attempts to clarify the reasons behind the mitzvot? That person truly fears Heaven and wishes to improve his performance of mitzvot by understanding their reasons. The second, however, wishes only to discover a flaw in the mitzvot. To such a person we do not respond, for he will only look for ways to discover new flaws.”
Perhaps the doomsday reference is meant to instill in us the need for stricter observance as only Modern Orthodoxy or Orthodoxy is capable of doing. Perhaps it is through fear that we are to subscribe to a mode of conduct that will be our saving grace. We know that fundamentalism, in any form, is designed to exact obedience through fear. Perhaps it is the fear, on the fundamentalists’ part, that continuity can remain strong without their tactics because one thing that Judaism teaches above all else is the understanding that we were given choice with the advent of Creation. Adam and Eve were exiled because they chose their destiny, the fear of repercussions not withstanding.
I, for one, am tired of reading and listening to those who would suggest our demise. Even the Talmud tells us as Rabbi Eleazar taught: “A person should bend like a reed, and not be hard like a cedar.” The essence of that teaching is that there is no single approach to survival or salvation but rather the insistence that we continue to search for answers that will have meaning in our lives. And if that means experimenting with our faith and traditions so that there will be continuity, then we will have fulfilled our inherited obligation.
We are not called Israel because it sounds good but because our lives are entwined with the Creator and this demands constant questioning and, yes, even arguing as did Abraham and Moses and the Prophets.
We are a resilient people. We have endured disasters and predictions of our impending demise, but we are here; we will always be here and not because we must or should adhere to a particular thought or concept but because our endurance is guaranteed by the highest authority. We may be tested time and again, but we are still able to walk tall, to witness rebirth after death.
On a particular holiday or Shabbat we may not always see baby carriages or young people congregating at the doors of our synagogues, but that doesn’t mean that they are not there. We are a unique people who may not be there every time, but we will be there when it counts.
Our influence will remain, contrary to the writer’s evaluation, because as Micah so aptly said, “What does the Lord require of you? To do justice, love mercy and walk humbly with God.” Perhaps that is what the unaffiliated are trying to tell us: Labels are meaningless because goodness needs no name.
Yes, there is a future. And from where I sit, it looks pretty good. And it does not depend on one method of observance or one thought or one person. It is all of us joining together to guarantee that future, Reform, Orthodox, Conservative, Reconstructionist, unaffiliated. Maybe, just maybe, if we joined together and learned together and respected each other, then our future will be secure because of diversity not sameness. That’s how we got here to begin with.
In a recent edition of the Jewish Voice and Opinion there is an article written by Catriel Sugarman, a researcher on Jewish issues, social critic and lecturer. The premise of his article titled “A Baker’s Dozen Predictions Based on Demographic Destiny”, is that Judaism, as practiced or not practiced in America, is doomed as is the Jewish People.
He then goes into the distinction between Orthodoxy, Conservatism, and Reform, occasionally injecting Recontructionism as well. His understanding of the demographics and their meaning is that in our lifetime it is conceivable that there will either remain Orthodoxy as the savior of the Jewish People because there would be a decrease in population and adherents by 2076, or at least very little growth. This means that whatever influence we have will also disappear and we will be a footnote in history.
He gives many reasons as to why this will happen. For example, the liberalism expressed by Reform Judaism will eventually dilute the essence of who we are. While Reform Judaism seems to be taking a turn to the right, it is not enough to stem the tide. Conservative Judaism has lost its meaning and with it the path as the middle man so to speak, thus the wedge between Orthodoxy and Reform. Orthodox Judaism, on the other hand, while it has some deficiencies, is the only answer to the salvation of the Jewish People because of its devotion to true observance.
This is most certainly a summary, as I understand the article, of his diatribe against anything and everything that does not contain complete observance of “pure” Judaism.
He writes some things that are worthy of discussion and concern. He alludes to a study made by Messrs Gordon and Horowitz (authors of “Will Your Grandchildren Be Jews’) that argues: “On the average, 100 Conservative Jews will have 29 Jewish great-grandchildren; 100 Reform Jews will have 10 Jewish great-grandchildren; and 100 “unaffiliated” Jews will have 7 great-grandchildren.” On the other hand, he continues, “100 ‘Modern Orthodox’ Jews will have, on average, 346 Jewish great-grandchildren and 100 ‘Orthodox’ will produce 2588 Jewish great-grandchildren.”
These are startling comments on the survival of the Jewish People in America. A professor of mine once said in class that figures never lie but liars figure. Not that I am calling Catriel Sugarman a liar, but the numbers game has been played throughout the history of the Jewish People. Each generation has announced doomsday and each generation has remained to give birth to the next.
Maimonides comes to mind and why he wrote his thirteen articles of faith. He wrote them for no other reason then to convince the authorities of his time that he was not a heretic or a disbeliever.
Spinoza was ostracized for his modern thinking, challenging everything and everyone. Anytime someone dared to stray from the accepted norm he was ridiculed and now we revere their thinking and their contributions to Jewish development.
I am reminded of a parable given by the Dubno Maggid in which he describes two types of people. One “attempts to clarify the reasons behind the mitzvot? That person truly fears Heaven and wishes to improve his performance of mitzvot by understanding their reasons. The second, however, wishes only to discover a flaw in the mitzvot. To such a person we do not respond, for he will only look for ways to discover new flaws.”
Perhaps the doomsday reference is meant to instill in us the need for stricter observance as only Modern Orthodoxy or Orthodoxy is capable of doing. Perhaps it is through fear that we are to subscribe to a mode of conduct that will be our saving grace. We know that fundamentalism, in any form, is designed to exact obedience through fear. Perhaps it is the fear, on the fundamentalists’ part, that continuity can remain strong without their tactics because one thing that Judaism teaches above all else is the understanding that we were given choice with the advent of Creation. Adam and Eve were exiled because they chose their destiny, the fear of repercussions not withstanding.
I, for one, am tired of reading and listening to those who would suggest our demise. Even the Talmud tells us as Rabbi Eleazar taught: “A person should bend like a reed, and not be hard like a cedar.” The essence of that teaching is that there is no single approach to survival or salvation but rather the insistence that we continue to search for answers that will have meaning in our lives. And if that means experimenting with our faith and traditions so that there will be continuity, then we will have fulfilled our inherited obligation.
We are not called Israel because it sounds good but because our lives are entwined with the Creator and this demands constant questioning and, yes, even arguing as did Abraham and Moses and the Prophets.
We are a resilient people. We have endured disasters and predictions of our impending demise, but we are here; we will always be here and not because we must or should adhere to a particular thought or concept but because our endurance is guaranteed by the highest authority. We may be tested time and again, but we are still able to walk tall, to witness rebirth after death.
On a particular holiday or Shabbat we may not always see baby carriages or young people congregating at the doors of our synagogues, but that doesn’t mean that they are not there. We are a unique people who may not be there every time, but we will be there when it counts.
Our influence will remain, contrary to the writer’s evaluation, because as Micah so aptly said, “What does the Lord require of you? To do justice, love mercy and walk humbly with God.” Perhaps that is what the unaffiliated are trying to tell us: Labels are meaningless because goodness needs no name.
Yes, there is a future. And from where I sit, it looks pretty good. And it does not depend on one method of observance or one thought or one person. It is all of us joining together to guarantee that future, Reform, Orthodox, Conservative, Reconstructionist, unaffiliated. Maybe, just maybe, if we joined together and learned together and respected each other, then our future will be secure because of diversity not sameness. That’s how we got here to begin with.
Sunday, July 6, 2008
Politically Incorect
Rabbi Irwin Wiener, D.D.
It is politically incorrect to point a finger at people who were subjected to inhuman treatment for over 200 years, people who were slaves and did the “master’s” bidding. They were taken from their homes on distant shores and used for forced labor. A Civil War was fought to right the wrong, to emancipate those of darker skin so that they would be able to find their destiny and create a new beginning borne from the ashes of indifference and hatred.
We excuse remarks such as “god-damn America,” and the riots that occurred at the passing of a world class leader who preached non-violence only to see such violence when he was murdered. We turn the other cheek when people are brought to a frenzy as they were in the early years of the civil rights movement because we felt an obligation and a guilt for having been part of this heinous crime against humanity.
And we would be correct, politically or otherwise, to make every accommodation so that equality can be achieved, if not in our lifetime, then for the generations that follow. And we have made great strides to accomplish this.
But there are those who try to keep the fires of hate burning because, either it is not happening fast enough or it causes a diversion for self interest and notoriety.
There is so much hate and so much anger that sits smoldering beneath the surface and can erupt at anytime and we lose sight of the greater goal, the big picture of concern for the welfare of all. We seem to be willing to sacrifice the good of the whole for the satisfaction of a few. Perhaps through hate and scapegoating it is felt that justice will be served albeit at the cost of so much advancement.
Fingers are pointed at other minorities in the misguided notion that finding others to blame, others who appear to be weaker and fewer, that justice will be served. Sure there have been mistakes from all sides but mayhem and vitriolic pronouncements are not the path to freedom but rather to division and damage that may become irreparable. Is this the way to become one nation?
Certain claims have been made suggesting the campaign for president of the United States of America has become a contest between white and black. Race, although found beneath the surface has reared its ugly head and become the focal point of the campaign.
The issues which divide us, the Iraq war, the economy, the stability of a workforce that has been diminished – all these things that are necessary for a healthy and vibrant country to maintain growth and vitality are missing from the debate. There is anunderlying distrust of everything we hold dear as a nation. Government, instead of caring for its citizens, seems to be oblivious to its pain. Government which was instituted to ensure domestic tranquility has turned a blind eye to the unrest and divisiveness.
Hatred, religious hatred, has surfaced again as a means to an end. Jews are starting to feel the pain of a resurgent anti-Semitism that has not seen this much activity since World War II. Europe and the Middle East are hotbeds of this resurgence of hostility toward a particular people.
Not found in the main stream press are incidents of bombings and desecrations and intimidations from England to France and even here in the United States.
For two thousand years we too have been subjected to indifference and degradation and humiliation. We too were dispersed to the four corners of the Earth and watched as millions died for no other reason than their belief system. We too empathize with those in this country still suffering from the nightmare of injustice. We too have been in the forefront of every movement designed to eliminate the demons of yesterday.
So when insults and accusations are directed toward us we quiver because we know only too well the results of bigotry. Is it politically incorrect to address these issues? Is it politically incorrect to point an accusing finger at those who would try to get to the top over our backs? Is it politically incorrect to denounce those who would destroy us, African American or Muslim? Is it politically incorrect to ask for insight and repair so that together we can conquer all the evil that exists?
One thing is for sure – “politically incorrect” is a form of censorship and why, in this land of freedom, must we feel inhibited to speak our mind in a constructive way so that all may benefit from the conversation? Why should we feel guilty about something that began hundreds of years ago and ended so very long ago; and even when slavery ended officially, equal treatment was not forthcoming for decades, some would say even a century later. Should we continue to feel guilty? Maybe, maybe not. Should we continue to remind humanity of its inhumanity? Yes. We know that appeasement never works. History has taught us this lesson. Therefore all of us should join together to combat all injustice – not just in one segment of our society, but in all of society.
Thinking that we can achieve victory by criticizing others is mistaken. History and religious teachings entrust us with the obligation of loving our neighbor as we too want to be loved. Is it so hard to reach out and touch someone – a stranger as well as a friend or relative? When God created man and woman– he created one man and one woman to instruct us in the understanding that no one is better than the other because we are all from one mother and one father – the mother and father of us all.
Is it politically incorrect to tell it like it is regardless of color or race or religion? No it is not because, if we speak the truth, then no harm can come to any of us. To see this country divided by color or ethnic background is to undo all that the founding fathers intended – “one nation, under God, with liberty and justice for all.”
It is politically incorrect to point a finger at people who were subjected to inhuman treatment for over 200 years, people who were slaves and did the “master’s” bidding. They were taken from their homes on distant shores and used for forced labor. A Civil War was fought to right the wrong, to emancipate those of darker skin so that they would be able to find their destiny and create a new beginning borne from the ashes of indifference and hatred.
We excuse remarks such as “god-damn America,” and the riots that occurred at the passing of a world class leader who preached non-violence only to see such violence when he was murdered. We turn the other cheek when people are brought to a frenzy as they were in the early years of the civil rights movement because we felt an obligation and a guilt for having been part of this heinous crime against humanity.
And we would be correct, politically or otherwise, to make every accommodation so that equality can be achieved, if not in our lifetime, then for the generations that follow. And we have made great strides to accomplish this.
But there are those who try to keep the fires of hate burning because, either it is not happening fast enough or it causes a diversion for self interest and notoriety.
There is so much hate and so much anger that sits smoldering beneath the surface and can erupt at anytime and we lose sight of the greater goal, the big picture of concern for the welfare of all. We seem to be willing to sacrifice the good of the whole for the satisfaction of a few. Perhaps through hate and scapegoating it is felt that justice will be served albeit at the cost of so much advancement.
Fingers are pointed at other minorities in the misguided notion that finding others to blame, others who appear to be weaker and fewer, that justice will be served. Sure there have been mistakes from all sides but mayhem and vitriolic pronouncements are not the path to freedom but rather to division and damage that may become irreparable. Is this the way to become one nation?
Certain claims have been made suggesting the campaign for president of the United States of America has become a contest between white and black. Race, although found beneath the surface has reared its ugly head and become the focal point of the campaign.
The issues which divide us, the Iraq war, the economy, the stability of a workforce that has been diminished – all these things that are necessary for a healthy and vibrant country to maintain growth and vitality are missing from the debate. There is anunderlying distrust of everything we hold dear as a nation. Government, instead of caring for its citizens, seems to be oblivious to its pain. Government which was instituted to ensure domestic tranquility has turned a blind eye to the unrest and divisiveness.
Hatred, religious hatred, has surfaced again as a means to an end. Jews are starting to feel the pain of a resurgent anti-Semitism that has not seen this much activity since World War II. Europe and the Middle East are hotbeds of this resurgence of hostility toward a particular people.
Not found in the main stream press are incidents of bombings and desecrations and intimidations from England to France and even here in the United States.
For two thousand years we too have been subjected to indifference and degradation and humiliation. We too were dispersed to the four corners of the Earth and watched as millions died for no other reason than their belief system. We too empathize with those in this country still suffering from the nightmare of injustice. We too have been in the forefront of every movement designed to eliminate the demons of yesterday.
So when insults and accusations are directed toward us we quiver because we know only too well the results of bigotry. Is it politically incorrect to address these issues? Is it politically incorrect to point an accusing finger at those who would try to get to the top over our backs? Is it politically incorrect to denounce those who would destroy us, African American or Muslim? Is it politically incorrect to ask for insight and repair so that together we can conquer all the evil that exists?
One thing is for sure – “politically incorrect” is a form of censorship and why, in this land of freedom, must we feel inhibited to speak our mind in a constructive way so that all may benefit from the conversation? Why should we feel guilty about something that began hundreds of years ago and ended so very long ago; and even when slavery ended officially, equal treatment was not forthcoming for decades, some would say even a century later. Should we continue to feel guilty? Maybe, maybe not. Should we continue to remind humanity of its inhumanity? Yes. We know that appeasement never works. History has taught us this lesson. Therefore all of us should join together to combat all injustice – not just in one segment of our society, but in all of society.
Thinking that we can achieve victory by criticizing others is mistaken. History and religious teachings entrust us with the obligation of loving our neighbor as we too want to be loved. Is it so hard to reach out and touch someone – a stranger as well as a friend or relative? When God created man and woman– he created one man and one woman to instruct us in the understanding that no one is better than the other because we are all from one mother and one father – the mother and father of us all.
Is it politically incorrect to tell it like it is regardless of color or race or religion? No it is not because, if we speak the truth, then no harm can come to any of us. To see this country divided by color or ethnic background is to undo all that the founding fathers intended – “one nation, under God, with liberty and justice for all.”
Wednesday, July 2, 2008
Crisis of Faith
Rabbi Irwin Wiener, D.D.
As time goes by we seem to wonder, more deeply, about life, our fallibility and our mortality. This occurs more and more as we begin to feel more vulnerable. When we were younger we would laugh at older people talking about their ills and now we are the ones who have taken their place.
Some of us do go through questions about our understanding of our connection to God. Some of us do think that some of the customs and rituals associated with our faith are just mumbo-jumbo – a collection of words and rituals that hold no significance to our lives today. We repeat them because we have done so for so long. And there are some of us who realize that we are not alone on this planet; that we need to get along for survival, if nothing else.
I was amused at the commotion made a while ago about the revelation that Mother Teresa, through her writings, expressed serious doubts about her faith and relationship with God. Darkness seemed to be everywhere and when she cried out to her savior to answer her prayers, there seemed to be nobody there.
Crisis of faith-Sometimes in our zeal to find solutions to problems, we become frustrated because the solutions seem remote. I would suggest that our expectations are unrealistic.
Crisis of faith-There are certain givens – poverty will always exist. Our job is not to eliminate, but relieve.
Crisis of faith-Illness is part of the journey of life and our wishes for complete health may not be within the realm of possibility. So our responsibility lies in trying to cope.
Crisis of faith-Evil is part of the equation that relates to existence and co-existence, therefore our hope is not to eradicate evil because it will upset the balance. Our emphasis should be to endeavor to minimize it so that life can have a decent quality to it.
Mother Teresa was no exception when she decided to question our very being and the ability to make a difference. Those who work in the vineyard of care and concern will always go through doubts because there is so much despair and gloom. We question the very existence of God as we witness so much agony. It is not surprising that she felt the pangs of doubt.
Perhaps she was overwhelmed after awhile and, instead of remembering all the good she accomplished, she thought of all that is yet to be done. Sometimes when I visit the sick or dying, I too question but then realize that my function is not to cure but to console – not eliminate the misery but to comfort those who are experiencing the nightmare of everyday living or the expectation of dying. I believe, in her zeal to accomplish the impossible, she lost sight of the true meaning of faith: The ability to transfer the pain, to express sorrow and regret, to afford each one of us the opportunity to pray for that is the essence of the comfort that God gives us in times of turbulence
Even the mumbo-jumbo, as some call it, the prayers and rituals are designed to give us the added ability to connect and give voice to our frustrations. And most of us know that we need to connect, more than religiously, in the framework of humanities survival. We need to study the liturgy and look for the significance that can make a difference.
We should think. We should question. We can even doubt. If answers were simple we would still be prancing around in the Garden of Eden without a care in the world. But God did not create us to wander aimlessly – but rather with a purpose that includes rituals and connections and even crises of faith. As we continue on this journey of life, we should understand that we have a lot to be grateful for and also a lot to repent for.
We thank God for all sorts of things – for breath – for sight – for smell – for touch, not that we can create miracles by beseeching God to undo that which is done ( the loss of any of these) but rather to give us the insight into finding cures.
And then we ask God to hear our prayers – listen to us as we endeavor to create an atmosphere of communication. And, as Mother Teresa was noted to say – we may not always hear the answer but that doesn’t relieve us of the obligation to continue to dialogue or search for the answer or embark on that journey – the journey that will increase our faith – not diminish it.
To some it may be mumbo-jumbo and to others an expression of contrition – an offering of ourselves to find the relevance and significance so that our lives do have meaning.
As time goes by we seem to wonder, more deeply, about life, our fallibility and our mortality. This occurs more and more as we begin to feel more vulnerable. When we were younger we would laugh at older people talking about their ills and now we are the ones who have taken their place.
Some of us do go through questions about our understanding of our connection to God. Some of us do think that some of the customs and rituals associated with our faith are just mumbo-jumbo – a collection of words and rituals that hold no significance to our lives today. We repeat them because we have done so for so long. And there are some of us who realize that we are not alone on this planet; that we need to get along for survival, if nothing else.
I was amused at the commotion made a while ago about the revelation that Mother Teresa, through her writings, expressed serious doubts about her faith and relationship with God. Darkness seemed to be everywhere and when she cried out to her savior to answer her prayers, there seemed to be nobody there.
Crisis of faith-Sometimes in our zeal to find solutions to problems, we become frustrated because the solutions seem remote. I would suggest that our expectations are unrealistic.
Crisis of faith-There are certain givens – poverty will always exist. Our job is not to eliminate, but relieve.
Crisis of faith-Illness is part of the journey of life and our wishes for complete health may not be within the realm of possibility. So our responsibility lies in trying to cope.
Crisis of faith-Evil is part of the equation that relates to existence and co-existence, therefore our hope is not to eradicate evil because it will upset the balance. Our emphasis should be to endeavor to minimize it so that life can have a decent quality to it.
Mother Teresa was no exception when she decided to question our very being and the ability to make a difference. Those who work in the vineyard of care and concern will always go through doubts because there is so much despair and gloom. We question the very existence of God as we witness so much agony. It is not surprising that she felt the pangs of doubt.
Perhaps she was overwhelmed after awhile and, instead of remembering all the good she accomplished, she thought of all that is yet to be done. Sometimes when I visit the sick or dying, I too question but then realize that my function is not to cure but to console – not eliminate the misery but to comfort those who are experiencing the nightmare of everyday living or the expectation of dying. I believe, in her zeal to accomplish the impossible, she lost sight of the true meaning of faith: The ability to transfer the pain, to express sorrow and regret, to afford each one of us the opportunity to pray for that is the essence of the comfort that God gives us in times of turbulence
Even the mumbo-jumbo, as some call it, the prayers and rituals are designed to give us the added ability to connect and give voice to our frustrations. And most of us know that we need to connect, more than religiously, in the framework of humanities survival. We need to study the liturgy and look for the significance that can make a difference.
We should think. We should question. We can even doubt. If answers were simple we would still be prancing around in the Garden of Eden without a care in the world. But God did not create us to wander aimlessly – but rather with a purpose that includes rituals and connections and even crises of faith. As we continue on this journey of life, we should understand that we have a lot to be grateful for and also a lot to repent for.
We thank God for all sorts of things – for breath – for sight – for smell – for touch, not that we can create miracles by beseeching God to undo that which is done ( the loss of any of these) but rather to give us the insight into finding cures.
And then we ask God to hear our prayers – listen to us as we endeavor to create an atmosphere of communication. And, as Mother Teresa was noted to say – we may not always hear the answer but that doesn’t relieve us of the obligation to continue to dialogue or search for the answer or embark on that journey – the journey that will increase our faith – not diminish it.
To some it may be mumbo-jumbo and to others an expression of contrition – an offering of ourselves to find the relevance and significance so that our lives do have meaning.
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