A Soulful Journey

“America is a brutal land. Its language is violence and bloodshed. That is why (Rodney) King was beaten; that is why another King was assassinated.” Walter Mosely in the LA Times It is easy to become discouraged. What is fundamental to real living (and not just existing) is that we are at once challenged by life to make it better and not depressed by it in thinking that nothing will ever get better. God gave us the gift to conquer the worst part of our self.

When you are in pain it is hard to imagine someone else in pain. All we can think about is ourself. Yet, the world is not so closed that we are the only ones who feel crushed. Pain is ubiquitous: it is a frequent visitor to us and the rest of creation. “I read a joke in one of the columns that said you were playing golf on Long Island and the pro asked you for your handicap and you told him, “I’m a colored, one-eyed Jew – do you need anything else?” from Yes, I Can, Sammy Davis Jr.

In 1963 was a convention of the national Conference on Race and religion. Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel was reluctant but finally agreed to speak. At that Chicago convention, Heschel stood next to Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.. That was the first time Dr King ever spoke before such a wide spectrum of religious leaders. Before 1700 people Heschel’s opening remarks began, “The First National Conference on Race and Religion took place in the palace of Pharaoh of Egypt when Moses said to Pharaoh “Let my people go!” The conference delegates, especially the Black delegates, exploded enthusiastically in their response. Time moves. The political landscape changes. There is progress. Yet, beyond all that is the critical notion that we have a basic responsibility for one another. We must ne the guardian’s of our brethren. We have experienced the same pains – all we have to do is remember and then we will respond to the rallying call against injustice.