Thursday, September 28, 2017

Inside The Holy Of Holies



Inside the Holy of Holies, I see
An empty room.
There is a roof on top of four walls
And a door but no windows.
We declare the inside, divine
And the outside, mundane.
This is arbitrary but okay with me,
I like holy separation.

Inside the Holy of Holies, I see
Judgement.
God speaks to me and tells me
Of God's disappointment with all my mistakes.
I apologize and promise to do better.
We both know this is unlikely but God appreciates the sentiment.
This is great for me,
I have faith in the rituals.

Inside the Holy of Holies, I see
Hate.
I see racism, murder, ethnic cleansing,
Misogyny, homo- and transphobia,
Rape, fascism, privilege,
Lies, manipulation, collusion.
If this is God,
I give up.

Inside the Holy of Holies I see
Hope.
People rise up, demanding action.
Investigators and organizers reject cynicism and despair.
We light candles, pray and make change.
Everyone votes and democracy rules.
God manifests
And I rejoice.

Inside the Holy of Holies, I see
The Jewish people.
Our stories create me,
Our culture animates me,
Our society challenges me,
Our past scars me.
I couldn't escape them if I tried.
Could be worse.

Inside the Holy of Holies, I see
Myself.
Years of therapy allow me to make
An honest evaulation
Of who and what I am.
I criticize myself appropriately.
I honor self-awareness,
Anything else is boring.

Inside the Holy of Holies, I see
The Infinite.
I meditate on the Ruach Ha Olam
And each breath is a prayer.
I feel the Presence,
I am unaware of the past and unworried about the future.
It is amazing.
I give thanks.

Inside the Holy of Holies, I see
The God I need to see.
Today, God is ancient wishful thinking.
And tomorrow, Aveinu Malkeinu, Who will make miracles.
Next week, I ponder the Fierce Mystery,
And the week after, I know the One-ness that is everywhere in all things.
Whatever.
Here I am
In the Holy Of Holies.

Wednesday, September 6, 2017

BE SAFE: A Prayer For Those Facing Disaster




Be safe,
Be warm,
Be dry,
Be alive.

Be useful,
Be attentive,
Be mindful,
Be whole.

Blessed Fierce Mystery,
Aware of the danger
And fear
And the possibilities of hope and succor,
We give thanks for all those who respond
And pray for all those who need rescue.
We pray that we will not be ashamed to ask for help when it is needed
And we pray that we will know what to do when it is our turn to assist.

Be safe.