how can we not grieve when the lungs of the planet of on fire because of our insatiable desire for beef?
how can we not grieve when street corners are inhabited by unhoused people begging for a handout?
how can we not grieve when abuse of all kinds is perpetrated in the name of government, domestic relationships, communication or religious leadership?the talmud, the oral and written source from which the code of Jewish law is derived, tells us,
“do not be daunted by the enormity of the world’s grief… you are not required to complete the work, but neither are you free to abandon it.”
we are not to be put off, or complacent, or in denial, or ignorant. nor are we to believe ourselves to be above the suffering, somehow not effected by it. as elders, we cannot pretend. we have already lived through too much. we have already know our own suffering and that of those we love.so we cannot act as if the grief of the trees, the people, the creatures of the amazon has nothing to do with us. we cannot act as if the pain of rough sleepers is not our pain. we cannot separate ourselves from democracy or those who experience domestic violence, or those who are followed by trolls in social media or those who put their trust in untrustworthy leaders.most of us have choice beyond imagining. we have access to food, water, educaton. we can live as many can only imagine. and so we can act. those actions may take us to the streets or to the meditation cushion,
the the ballot box or to neighbourhood groups,
to vocal town hall meetings or to prayer.
all actions are needed.rabbi hIllel, (born according to tradition in babylon c. 110 BCE, died 10 CE in jerusalem) was a Jewish religious leader, who is most associated with the development of the Talmud, famously said, “If I am not for myself, who will be for me? If I am not for others, what am I? And if not now, when?”while we grieve and act, we must also care for ourselves. we can create joy in the midst of the flames. we can love dearly and authentically in the midst of violence. we can speak to power with the voice of freedom in the midst of dictatorial actions.the world is grieving.let us elders act now.