SHABBAT SHALOM -- BEHAR -- DRINKING FROM THE HALF-FULL GLASS It is readily apparent that the world is too much with us, and oftentimes it is bleak, gloomy, and difficult. As part of our spiritual life, our tradition demands that we cultivate a radical and unyielding optimism that can defy what we regularly see. Our tradition teaches that if we give up hope -- or allow the feelings of powerlessness and regret to overwhelm us, we are cutting off our own connection to the world and any connection that we have to any joys in our life will thus be compromised. Our tradition reminds us that mercy from God is abundant and unbounded and nothing is beyond the realm of possibility. As we are asked to always consider ourselves close to redemption, regardless of the wrongs that we have done, we are guided to think that our world, as turbulent and dangerous as it may be, is also, always on the verge of redeeming. We are asked to see the world as a glass, simultaneously half full and half empty -- we are not to shy away from the issues of the world, and they too are not to render us incapable of acting to repair them. Our repair occurs in how we choose to act, in this very moment. While our past may be a guide, we are also given the freedom to move beyond the boxes that we have constructed and that inhibit us, and develop a wholly new way of relating to this world. We chip away at these elephantine problems, one moment and one action at a time -- as we continue to take our breath, we have the choice to be vital in what we do and to recognize the present blessings and mercies that we can not always ably discern, and with doggedness, pursue what is positive. In honor of Mothers Day, and as we prepare for Shabbat -- may we enjoy an acoustic guitar piece by John McLaughlin, called A Song for My Mother (1970) -- youtube/watch?v=7awJsKb8mdk Shabbat Shalom.
Posted on: Fri, 09 May 2014 19:16:05 +0000
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