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The Prayer I've Always Struggled With...

10/1/2019

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On Rosh Hashanah it might be inscribed
And on Yom Kippur it is unlikely to be sealed forever without further contemplation...

Which beliefs will still be cherished
And which beliefs will wither away and die

Which God will be exalted in times of radiant and resplendent joy
And which God will be trounced in fits of incomprehensible frustration

Which conceptions will drown in the cascade of incessant tears
And which ideologies, searing the soul, will scorch the perspectives of the other

Which God-delusion will permit the unnecessary impaling of a fellow human
And which struggling servant of the Divine will be devoured by intrusive thoughts

Which God will remain silent toward the tenth of the world that is starving
And which God will withhold rain from those who are parched by drought

Which worldly perspectives will, like a rug, be pulled out from under us
And which unresolvable feelings will plague us until the end of time

Which religion's dogma will suffocate their followers
And which parishioners will engage in the pelting judgment of others

Which God will appear to take every seventh day off (and then some)
And which God will gamble arbitrarily with our health and fortune

Which God may be believed fully
And which G-d must be hyphenated through an unnecessary act of grammatical fear

Which beliefs will allow us to live and let live
And which thoughts will fulfill a needless urge for vengeance

Which God will take away all of our earthly gains,
And which God will help us realize that true wealth is found within ourselves

Which heartfelt beliefs shall no longer hold up
And which cherished teachings will remain upheld.

But resilience, perspective and kindness temper the severity of our heroic struggle...

And in the shadows
Where presence and absence intertwine as one
Where the sound of the great shofar mingles with the still small voice
A doubtful "amen" reminds us of the power, promise, and potential of life
And the challenge of praising
The eternal Mystery of Mysteries
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    Rabbi Paul

    Husband, Dad, Rabbi, avid fan of classical music and the St. Louis Cardinals

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