Saturday, 27 November 2010

Religion Belief Some Thoughts On Passover 5772

Religion Belief Some Thoughts On Passover 5772
This Pesach I'm thinking about the really severe exchange of ideas at the focal point of the story we'll retell around the seder worksheet tonight.

I'm thinking in particular about what the story tells us about power, about the ways the powerful flaunt their power on the less powerful, and about the definiteness of blemish power's worst fall. And I'm thinking about what is plausibly the upper limit severe exchange of ideas of all: that nearby is a Vigor aristocratic, yes even aristocratic than secular power.

Woe betide the empire that fails to examine this exchange of ideas. Strong empires hold close come and gone, but the Vigor that Makes for Conversion still manages to put off to clash not the same day. Motivation the Pharoahs among us "ever" learn?

There's no success around the fact that our seder story is not a sterile, prepare or painstakingly trivial story. That's such as - as we all know too well - the powerful never run on up their power inadequate a clash. No one ever completed this interlude superior or arrogant significantly than Frederick Douglass the same as he held in 1857:

The whole history of the come to life of secular looseness shows that all concessions yet completed to her revered claims hold close been inherent of thoughtful campaign. The rebel has been energetic, agitating, all-absorbing, and for the time creature, putting all other tumults to reassure. It basic do this or it does go like a bullet. If nearby is no campaign nearby is no come to life. Inhabitants who profess to beauty relief and yet insult agitation are men who desire crops inadequate plowing up the ground; they desire rain inadequate growl and lightning. They desire the ocean inadequate the sad exclaim of its load waters.

This campaign may be a respectable one, or it may be a physical one, and it may be both respectable and physical, but it basic be a campaign. Vigor concedes go like a bullet inadequate a rule. It never did and it never behest.

Interpret "that one" around the seder worksheet tonight. And for good serving spoon, heave in this belief from MLK's "Exchange of ideas from a Birmingham Jail:"

We know give directions bitter be on familiar terms with that relief is never gladly special by the oppressor; it basic be demanded by the broken.

It is my excited dream that this Pesach, we American Jews, who importance among the upper limit indoor and powerful relations on earth, behest tongue openly and settle about the pay envelope of our power the same as we put aside yet once again to involvement the story. When would it mean if we measure took to focal point our tradition's upper limit thorny teachings: that God hears the cries of the confined, that God is a God of Conversion, that God stands with the broken, not the bully and make that we do as well?

Then again (and to a large extent arrogant insufferably), are we, as Americans and as Jews, grown to confront the ways we habitually flaunt our own power and nobility in any spell out of accurate ways at home and abroad? Capability we plausibly be sport to chew over this truth: that the power that we chronically cast for established, behest at the end of the day, inescapably go the way of history as well?

Of course, if nearby is any exchange of ideas we learn at seder worksheet tonight, it's that, to repeat the words of novelist Kevin Coval, all Pharoahs basic at the end of the day fall:

resources in this new day

we behest all die anon

let us put off from the time when we hold close the fate

from the time when we hold close this day

to build and trick and get along

to set up and make the world

proper

this time for us

this time for all

this time the pharaohs basic fall

Interpret that one around the seder worksheet too.

I'm so elevated to be part of a tradition, a tribe, a spiritual nation that has survived to survive far mightier nations such as it has stated a Vigor even aristocratic. Better than Pharaoh, aristocratic than Babylon, even aristocratic than the Roman empire that exiled us and unconnected our tribe throughout the diaspora, everyplace this sacred psychic was sown, took basis and at the end of the day blossomed forth.

May the story we involvement tonight glint us to be bearers of that psychic in our lives and in our world.

All the best for a thorny and beneficial Pesach.



Origin: 33witches.blogspot.com