Friday, February 25, 2011

The Birthing

Now that the winter is winding down and the seeds of reflection and contemplation have been planted, what is God birthing for you this spring?

What has been dormant that will spring forward?

What has been crying out in the middle of your darkness that will begin bearing fruits of joy and prosperity?

Imagine God birthing something surprising for you!

Imagine that the heart is in the middle of it.

Sunday, February 20, 2011

Requiem: 2000 - 2011

For eleven years you carried me to places known and unknown.


Only once did your battery die causing me to be late to a gathering of friends.


I hummed along with the music from your radio as I raced down city streets

Or waited through long traffic lights and highway construction detours.


You never complained. You never faltered. You never tired.


You accepted all of my passengers with a welcome outstretched front seat.


And in the winter, you turned on your heating pad to warm our bottoms and captivate our hearts.


The grandkids came with their car seats and strollers.

You clicked them in their safety belts securely and properly.


You had a special purring sound when driving them from school to home and back.


You didn’t mind the clutter, although you appreciated the vacuuming and the trips to the car wash.

After all, you had your pride!


I will miss your glamorous features.

Your sunroof. Your leather seats. Your high grade audio system.


But, most of all, I will miss the freedom you gave me to be me behind your wheel of adventure-making.


I thank you for carrying me on eagles wings with the gentleness of a dove.


Amen.

Friday, February 11, 2011

The Essence

Ritual can be the container that envelops the essence of our lives.

Hit the pause button. Capture the memory. Put a frame around the moment.

One single ritual contains a lifetime.

Friday, February 4, 2011

Pursue the Poor

Tell the Israelites: "You shall take for Me an offering from every person whose heart inspires him to do so." Exodus 25:2

God commands Moses to take the donations from the Israelites to build a wilderness Tabernacle. Why doesn’t the verse read that every person should give an offering?

The first charitable act of the Jewish people emphasized that the central aspect of Tzedakah (charity) is not giving to the needy, but taking from the donor.

The primary goal of Tzedakah is to elevate the soul of the giver while increasing kindness in the world.

The benefactors are commanded to pursue the poor in order to maintain their spiritual connection to the holy and the sacred.

The Israelites were asked to relinquish their material possessions for the sake of the greater communal good. When we act with simple generosity we refine our humanity.

Let us take the offerings and build a more generous world.