I had the incredible fortune of providing commentary for ABCNews.com on the National Prayer Service. The keynote was Reverend Sharon Watkins, the General Minister and President of the Disciples of Christ. To put it mildly, her sermon rocked the Cathedral with that special mix of intimacy, wisdom, humor and humility. But it was her central metaphor that struck a chord within me.
In a portion of her sermon Reverend Watkins told a story - attributed to the Cherokee tradition - about the two wolves that struggle inside each one of us. “One wolf is vengefulness, anger, resentment, self-pity, fear…The other wolf is compassion, faithfulness, hope, truth, love…”
Then she looked directly at President Obama, who was sitting in the front pew, and said, “We need you to feed the good wolf within you, to listen to the better angels of your nature, and by your example encourage us to do the same.”
OMG. Reverend Watkins was talking Jewish. In Judaism, we understand within each one of us is a yetzer hara, an evil inclination and yetzer hatov, good inclination. Both are intrinsic and important to our nature. According to the rabbis, even the evil inclination - when properly directed - can enable us to “build houses, make love, feel passion.” But Judaism commands us to keep it in check. To nourish that side of us that strives to do good. To regularly feed that part of us - through service and ethical behavior.
Reverend Watkins, the Cherokees and the Jews are saying the same thing. Ethical behavior is practiced over time. It is not a one time deal. Day after day, we behave according to our values and to our morals and lo and behold, we live like angels.
Regardless of your beliefs, words to live by and to practice.
I could not help thinking - as I was watching the children’s choir sing “He’s got the Whole World in His hands” during the National Prayer Service which officially began President Obama’s first day of work - how much this song had new meaning. I sang it for the first time in the Christmas (yes, Christmas) pageant at my grammar school. At the time, I was not sure who that “He” was referring to, but it definitely was not Obama. As I aged, I got it. God has the whole world in his hands.
But last Wednesday on his first official day of work I could not help but think the choir was not referring to God, rather to our new president. President Obama literally has the world on his shoulders. No pressure.
Everyone, not just Americans, is watching him. Watching every single move he makes. From how he deals with the situation in the Middle East to how he deals with his mother-in-law. You would think with this kind of scrutiny and pressure, he is bound to fail or at least crack. Yet watching him navigate his first day of work after 10 inaugural balls, he looked smooth, calm, as if he was saying to all of us. “No problem. I’ve got it.”
Only time will tell if President Barack Hussein Obama truly has it but I’m hopeful.
OMG! A seminary student of all people had the audacity to take Obama’s note to God out of the Western Wall and give it to the media to publish. Of course the national news and every one of us condemned this behavior. How dare we expose the personal prayers of another human being? I could not help think, what if the prayer had said something incriminating. Just what if Obama confessed on that small piece of paper a great sin, would we have reacted the same? Maybe, then we would have felt justified looking at his personal words. I hope not. Which made me think, when Obama wrote that message, did he have to think that it might be read? Did he have to edit his own prayers? Has our exposure of political figures became so pervasive that they even have to be wary when writing to God. I can’t answer whether Obama was thinking that it would be read when he wrote that note, but I can say if he did, then as a society, as a people we seriously need to scrutinize our behavior. On Yom Kippur, we repent in the plural asking God to forgive Our sins - not only our sins as individuals. but our sins as a collective community. We repent this way because even if we never committed the sin, we are still responsible for each other and must them repent for the ones committed in our society. Everyone has the right to write to private note to God, so this year I will be asking for forgiveness for all of us for having read it.
I had the incredible fortune of providing commentary for ABCNews.com on the National Prayer Service. The keynote was Reverend Sharon Watkins, the General Minister and President of the Disciples of Christ. To put it mildly, her sermon rocked the Cathedral with that special mix of intimacy, wisdom, humor and humility. But it was her central metaphor that struck a chord within me.
I could not help thinking - as I was watching the children’s choir sing “He’s got the Whole World in His hands” during the National Prayer Service which officially began President Obama’s first day of work - how much this song had new meaning. I sang it for the first time in the Christmas (yes, Christmas) pageant at my grammar school. At the time, I was not sure who that “He” was referring to, but it definitely was not Obama. As I aged, I got it. God has the whole world in his hands.
OMG! A seminary student of all people had the audacity to take Obama’s note to God out of the Western Wall and give it to the media to publish. Of course the national news and every one of us condemned this behavior. How dare we expose the personal prayers of another human being? I could not help think, what if the prayer had said something incriminating. Just what if Obama confessed on that small piece of paper a great sin, would we have reacted the same? Maybe, then we would have felt justified looking at his personal words. I hope not. Which made me think, when Obama wrote that message, did he have to think that it might be read? Did he have to edit his own prayers? Has our exposure of political figures became so pervasive that they even have to be wary when writing to God. I can’t answer whether Obama was thinking that it would be read when he wrote that note, but I can say if he did, then as a society, as a people we seriously need to scrutinize our behavior. On Yom Kippur, we repent in the plural asking God to forgive Our sins - not only our sins as individuals. but our sins as a collective community. We repent this way because even if we never committed the sin, we are still responsible for each other and must them repent for the ones committed in our society. Everyone has the right to write to private note to God, so this year I will be asking for forgiveness for all of us for having read it.
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