A Lament and a Prayer for the 200,000 - September 25, 2020

23 new cases of COVID-19 in our county in NM today. 

“It affects virtually nobody,” says he.  

So Mr. and Ms. Nobody are at least in quarantine today.   

Over 200,000 “nobodies” have died in our country, people of all ages.  

Eternal God,

Do not let us forget 

Those who have died of this disease

Those who have recovered but feel the lingering effects every day

Those who have risked their lives to bring comfort

To effect healing when possible,

To support the loved ones of these people 

Now facing the challenge of empty spaces in their families. 

We see. 

We listen.

We stand up

To help

To give

To heal.  

For those who see the steep numbers of the people who have died of COVID-19 as a “success,” 

May compassion spring forth inside of them when they least expect it

So that they will realize 

That they haven’t cared enough 

But that they still have a chance 

To change their perspective 

And to unselfishly see people in terms of people.    

IT IS NOT WHAT IT SHOULD BE.

“Return” - A reflection for Shabbat Shuvah 5781 - September 25, 2020

As the Shabbat before Yom Kippur (Shabbat Shuvah) begins, we think about the need for return to the path that we know is best for all of us together. 

   Perhaps I should ignore the horrible things people wrote in comments on the livestream of the service for the late Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg this morning.  Rather than seeing differences of opinion as disagreement, they resorted to character assassination. 

    Perhaps I should ignore comments like, “the only way I will l lose this election is if it is rigged,” with accusations and rumors flying.  That means that if I go to vote and don’t vote for the man who made that comment about cheating, then I am a cheater.  Sorry, when I cast my ballot legally, that will not be true. 

    I cannot ignore any of that.

    I also will not ignore the people who are decrying these comments, who are now targets of criciicism because of their truth tellling. 

     I will not ignore people who want to see our community members come together, even when disagreements exist, so that compromise that can accomplish much, can win the day. 

     I will not ignore dishonesty. 

    I will support truth-telling that is not based in vindictiveness and rumor, but in a desire to help us make the best decisions we can as individuals and citizens.  

     "Forgive all iniquity and accept the good; and we shall offer the fruit of our lips,” says Hosea in the Haftarah for this Shabbat. 

     May we rediscover what is good and speak of it and do it together.

Beyond faith and because of my faith - what I believe as a citizen - September 22, 2020

For me....

   The Constitution is a living document that must be interpreted to positively take into account new situations and realities. 

   The battle to guarantee Civil rights to African-Americans is not over.  We have to win this continuing struggle that never seems to end. 

   The struggle for equality for women, for equal treatment for members of the LGBTQ community, and the elimination of prejudice against many ethnic and religious groups in America is not over (that includes combating antisemitism). 

   Looking squarely at the wrongs perpetrated against slaves brought to this continent against their will and against Native Americans is part of our patriotic duty so that we can become a better nation now.      Dialogue in any arena, including politics, would be best served by people from across the spectrum willing to treat each other as human beings based on decency and willing to speak to one another with respect...and willing to listen and take to heart what they heard. 

   Vile, bullying words and name calling have no place coming from our highest officials. 

    I am a product of public education and a member of a family that values public education, with schools funded well by government entities that provide students across the board an equal opportunity and support for teachers in their great work. 

    I believe that issues such as abortion have personal and religious components to them, enough that public policy should not prevent a woman from following the dictates of her conscience and faith in her decision making along with her physician.  

    I believe that a partnership between government and the private sector, including religious groups, should provide a safety net for people who have fallen on hard times, many due to no fault of their own.  That is a biblical and rabbinic and human value.   

    I believe that taxes can be considered a contribution to improve our nation when distributed properly.   

    I believe that our environment is undergoing changes that are the result of misguided policies that did not (or, perhaps, did) foresee the negative effects on the future of our air, water, and ecosystems.  We need to take responsibility now to preserve our world.  I believe in listening to the preponderance of scientific wisdom on this issue and others (such as COVID-19). 

     I believe that borders should be watched but that immigration should be a possibility readily open to aspiring citizens, including to asylum seekers and refugees, whom we should not view with suspicion, but with open arms.

     I believe that everyone should have access to quality health care at an affordable cost without exclusions for pre-existing conditions, and that attempts to create such systems in the past should not be destroyed only because of the identity of their creators. 

     And I believe I can say all this without naming names of any particular political figures or parties.  

    When my students in Religious School would ask me (even 30 years ago) how I voted on election day, I told them that I couldn’t say, but I offered them a list like this.   They said, “Oh, we know whom you voted for.”   

     It doesn’t matter.   What matters is to believe in something, and to find the people who will make at least some of these goals come to fruition.   

      Be strong, and let us strengthen one another.

The Shofar’s Call - September 19, 2020

This Shofar presented a call today (through me). 

It is a call for truth over blind acceptance.

It is a call for freedom that admits who has really been able to partake of freedom for our nation’s history (not everyone), and who should be able to live in true freedom (everyone)!

It is a call for rights that must be balanced by a sense of responsibility, for preserving one’s well being in a way that sustains the well being of others. 

It is a call for justice for all, not just fairness and privilege for some. 

It is a call that directs us to recognize the divine image in every person, and not to pretend that a colorblind society leads, in and of itself, to true equality. 

It is a call for us to be humble enough to admit our mistakes, patient enough to help others improve their character, and steadfast enough in our rejection of arrogance and evil that true peace and unity could descend upon us, even unexpectedly.

It is a call for heroes and helpers, teachers and experts, allies and friends, and even open-minded opponents to come together to meet challenges with courage and wisdom. 

It is a call to love and compassion and hope.

The Shofar presented a call through me today.  

This time, I know that I must listen and act.

A Traveler’s Prayer for Current Journeys - September 14, 2020

A TRAVELER’S PRAYER FOR CURRENT JOURNEYS

September 14, 2020

Eternal God and God of all generations, 

Be with us on the journeys of short or long distance or duration 

That we take at this time of challenge.

Guide us to make sound decisions on where and how to go

To our destinations and then back home

We pray for Your protection 

When we are in situations that could endanger us

When those around us are not taking or encouraging precautions

And as we live in this world 

Where the current virus can spread all too easily. 

Grant us wisdom that will keep us safe.

Heighten our patience towards others.

May gentle but firm words of persuasion come from our mouths

As we encourage our partners in community 

To make our neighborhoods, businesses, stores,

And cities 

Havens from the current silent microscopic storm

That compromises our well-being 

When we are not careful. 

We are all Your precious creations 

Who deserve mutual respect and support

And who are all capable of hearing the truth -

The full truth - 

About this lingering challenge 

And acting upon it 

In ways that will allow us 

To come together once again 

In common places

In hope and in peace.   

May we do all we can to make safety and healing 

A reality 

that we can sustain every day. 

Blessed are You, our Eternal God, who hears our prayer.

ARE WARS, DISEASES AND NATURAL DISASTERS JUDGMENTS OF GOD? - October 31, 1987

From the Wichita Eagle-Beacon, October 31, 1987

ARE WARS, DISEASES AND NATURAL DISASTERS JUDGMENTS OF GOD? 

My response: 

     Some streams of Jewish tradition have portrayed God as a judge who rewards the righteous and punishes the wicked. Many people believed that there is a divine purpose behind wars, diseases, natural disasters and the suffering and death that result. Still, rabbinic tradition stated that God knows the path each person will take, but we control our actions. Therefore, human beings choose to wage war and bear the full responsibility for the tragic consequences that follow. 

   While insurance companies call natural disasters "acts of God," we can view earthquakes, tornadoes and diseases as acts of nature. Rabbi Harold Kushner has said that there are no judgments, only consequences of nature and human action. God does not let things happen or cause everything that occurs. We can discover true acts of God in the courage of people to rebuild their lives after facing disease or disaster and in the rush of human assistance to the victims. God is the source of strength that helps people overcome adversity and go on living with faith and hope.

Strength - Facebook post on Friday, September 11, 2020

Strength is not covering up a challenge so that there won’t be panic.   We all have those moments when something unexpected throws us for a loop.

Sometimes, it’s quite serious. Sometimes, it’s a threat to our health or even to our lives.  We might be immobilized for a moment, and we might take a little time to ponder our next steps. Yet, we often find all the fortitude within ourselves that we need, augmented and energized by support from the people closest to us and from professionals who lend expertise and assistance to guide us through the passage. Those people are our cheerleaders: the ones who will stand by us, knowing and acknowledging the gravity of the situation and knowing that their help will be essential to our ability to live and thrive.     That is strength.