Today, on the Eve of our judgement, many will ask those they know to forgive any and all wrongs we have caused to each other; A conversation that has been so watered down to become nothing more than the annual instant message of "hey-hey, sup?- nm you?-nm... forgive me?- yes, you forgive me? Yes." Or the infamous mass text request for forgiveness. How often do we think about those who we have wronged, called the person, and talked about what was weighing down our hearts with guilt, instead of just glossing over the incident on a theme of ambiguous apologetics? Is forgiveness enough? Or is it possible that when we agree to forgive without recompense, apologize without specific intention and discussion of how I have wronged you or you have wronged me, and apologize to those who we have not wronged that we cheapen apology and even worse, the integrity of our relationships? Have we become such apologetic automatons that our holiest day, that of renewal, forgiveness, and introspection is now nothing more to us than a reminder of our guilt, our imperfection, and our helplessness? As this inspiring and tiring day of atonement comes near I am forced to justify my feelings of faith and remorse within, with the feelings of hypocrisy and randomness without. And all I can reach for inspiration are the powerful words of Ghandi, who fasted for peace, fought for unity, and lived for love. “If we could change ourselves, the tendencies in the world would also change. As a man changes his own nature, so does the attitude of the world change towards him. ... We need not wait to see what others do.” With these words in mind I wish you all, in a general mass message, a happy and healthy new year, and a Yom Kippur that does not remind you of your regret and guilt, but of your best qualities of character, your integrity, and your ability to move forward. May you all be sealed in the book of life.
Posted on: Fri, 13 Sep 2013 18:10:03 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015