the sinai

Above me, was a sky filled with diamonds shimmering, waving, shining lights so crowded that it seemed at times the stars were trying to push one another to claim their place in the heavens. We had just finished our dinner, all of the plates cleaned, the last of the coals for the fire dimmed and all of us were lying on our sleeping bags. It must have been 8 pm, but being in the desert with no city view over the horizon, no lamplights beaming incandescent barbs of yellow, no noise but the soft gust of wind; it could have been midnight and maybe midnight on the dark side of the moon.

It was 1974, and I was lucky enough to have been the teen leader taking 40 some kids to Israel for a six week adventure. This night found us at the base of Saint Catherine’s Monastery facing the foot of Mt. Sinai, in the Sinai Peninsula. Our itinerary permitted us to tour the Sinai Desert, which had recently become a property of the State of Israel. We were walking the same path that Moses had taken the Jews as they sought freedom and equality. We were camped out in the middle of nowhere which at the time seemed to be the center of the universe, ready to awaken at 3am to climb Mt Sinai and stand upon a precipice as the sun rose to greet the morning.

Shooting stars were so numerous, that counting them became futile. Clusters of galaxies gathered as if they were waiting to be the next contestant of the ‘best of the universe’ contest, and from horizon to horizon we witnessed sparkle, glitz, and glamour as if thousands of paparazzi flash bulbs had all gone off at the same time. We all, all 40 of us, spoke about the beauty of this scene, and we all, all 40 of us shared secrets of being human, being alive, our place in the universe, and the sheer power and greatness of this universe. Then as if someone had placed a finger over his/her mouth we fell silent. For many of us it was because we wanted to think as we watched the sky, for many of us it was because the silence enhanced our ability to observe, and for many of us it was because lying here seemed cozy, safe, and peaceful. And we knew our dreams would be glorious.

Sleep was way too short, but it was 2:45 am, and the Israeli soldiers who accompanied us blew their trumpets and we awoke. We all quickly packed our gear, filled our flutes with water, and without any humbug, or hesitation made ourselves ready for the next journey in discovery contentment. For some of the kids who attended Religious School we were about to embark on a Mountain so famous that the thought of approaching it made them laugh from nervousness. For some of the kids, we were about to climb a Mountain that not a single person in their family before them had ever had the same opportunity. For some of the kids we were about to find out what other great pieces of the universe were almost in our reach.

Night hiking was difficult, stepping on paths never before seen a bit tricky, but with the guidance of the soldiers and the tour guides each step became easier and easier, and each step leading to a surprise none of us expected. It took the 40 of us about 2.5 hours to gather on a plateau, place our packs on the ground and face the east looking for the first rays of sunlight. Climbing in the dark we had little idea just how high we were but as the first few minutes of the dawn descended upon us we noticed that standing near the cliff, there were pockets of wispy clouds below us. That was just the ribbon from the gift that would soon be opened.

In minutes as the first few crisp yellow tentacles of the sun touched the Earth, our gift of magic opened as if it were blurted from a canon, and straight ahead of us were colors of the rainbow so bold, so bright, so big that at first we thought we all had just seen something so new that it was not listed on any color chart. We oohed and aahed, but just as quickly we ALL became quiet. I could hear hints of sobbing, I could see expressions of awe, and I could feel a warmth so peaceful surround me that at first I had to pinch myself to make sure this was not a dream.

For many this was a real understanding of a God, of a Higher Power, of something greater than us, and for many this sunrise, the star show the night before, told us how inclusive this existence could be, and how ALL of us mattered.

So now, Rick Perry, Michelle Bachmann, Tim Pawlenty, Herman Cain, and Sarah Palin have stated that they all had a calling from God to run for president. They say they were humbled by God’s request. The same individuals who have heard God calling them to be president of the United States somehow has also told them but if you are president, it does mean that all people should not be treated equal. If you are Gay, a women who wants the reproductive rights for your body, a person who believes in Islam, poor, elderly you don’t count. The God that has spoken to ALL of the above mentioned Republican/Bagger potential presidential seems to speak to people who like exclusion and make some people matter more.Somehow that was not the God, higher power, magnificence I witnessed in the Sinai.

For me, I saw God, a higher power, the force of nature and I learned that I am not alone on this Earth. I saw a God, a Higher power, a force of nature that said to me what I do is not only for me but the greater good of those with whom I share this Earth. I understood that WE, all of us are here for a purpose that is inclusive. All of this makes me wonder what God, Perry, Bachmann, Pawlenty, Cain and Palin have been talking to?