Tonight is the culmination for many Jews, of the Days of Awe. It is Yom Kippur the Time of Atonement, a day to reflect on the life behind us, the life we live and the promises, practicalities, potholes and potentials of the life ahead. It is believed that with this High Holy Day of Yom Kippur God will be closing the Book of our Life and perhaps our journey ahead will have already been signed sealed and delivered.
I am not always sure if the future is foretold by the actions of the past or the present. I am not sure if who we will become is designed by the wishes, the pardons, and the pleas of who we currently are. I am not sure if atoning for our sins our inactions, our frailties and failures are forgone conclusions of a future frightening or fabulous. I wonder and seek answers and for me that is when I find my spirituality, my beliefs, my higher power, my God.
For the past many years I have become much more aware and cognizant of freedoms, rights, equality. I have become aware of people, organizations, and groups deciding that there can only be one way to think, act, believe, and live. I have noticed a trend of gluttony, greed, selfishness, and self serving. In a country like ours whose history has always been to help, I have noticed a trend to hurt. In a country like ours whose history has always been that of an immigrant emerging, I have noticed a fearful case of xenophobia arising, honing in on different as bad and proliferating the landscape with “we” vs. “they”. In a country like ours with a rich past, I have noticed that we have stopped learning the lessons of history [those] that have provided us with reason and rational and instead pretend that what came before is wrong and is now ridiculed.
It seems to be the Book of Life for America will be closed on Tuesday, November 2, 2010. There has been a wave of discontent turned into hate, bias, and bigotry by disingenuous people, using ignorance, fear, and loathing to fool many who seek help. It seems from the pulpits of preachers a lesson of lies has been lingering long laying blame on self selected demons. It seems that honest discourse has been drowned out by clutter and chaos never permitting consensus or choice, but instead developing disgust and disillusionment. It seems without fact, fiction is becoming the front runner in figuring out the future. And I worry.
I know that in my life, for the year ahead as God closes the Book of my Life, I can still make a difference in what tomorrow brings. I know that with more insight, emotion, care and comfort I possibly can change the supposed next chapter. I have the free will to do so. I just wonder if when the Book of Life in America closes on election night in November, will we as Americans have done the necessary changes to hope for a better brighter future. Or will the raving and ranting of some who want nothing else but fear and loathing to control the future dominate and win?
Do we as Americans have some kind of sane control on our year ahead, or will we have the next year be written in pain, inequality, jealousy, anger, and fact less truth? Or does that book of life remain etched in un- erasable tyranny and blood? I wonder and I worry.
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