Power and Virtue: the Davidic Calling and Promise
Not so long ago, before the Jewish High Holidays, my five-year-old daughter – the middle child – insightfully asked me whether God ever makes mistakes.
Not so long ago, before the Jewish High Holidays, my five-year-old daughter – the middle child – insightfully asked me whether God ever makes mistakes.
‘Did they’, she wondered out loud, ‘consider the gardens they planted, their last garden?’
Be still, my soul, the Psalmist sings. Isn’t that soothing? Isn’t that what the current moment cries out for?
The human family. All of us. Remember that idea?
There’s a joke floating around the Internet, which I cannot take credit for but I am happy to share: ‘The question no job applicants in 2015 ever got right was, ‘so, where do you see yourself in five years?’’
I don’t know if I can speak on behalf of anyone else, but I have felt the silent emptiness stretch like a wasteland across my soul.
The Isaac-Ishmael-Hagar story is in chapter 21 and the Akeda is in chapter 22. Rosh Hashanah offers the opportunity to study them together.
This Rosh Hashanah we decided to go live from the Bimah. For the first time we could immerse the congregation in the High Holiday atmosphere with streaming services directly from our Sanctuary.
As often as politely possible, I hide from this piece. I find as many excuses as I can to say “no thanks” to the Rabbi’s kind and humbling yearly request to sing it – not enough prep time, too much else going on, someone else can do it better (this last one is always true), etc. This year, however, I said yes.