I don't know which to be more worried by - the fact that I was so tired last week that I didn't notice that I failed to publish my post, or that noone emailed me to mention the fact that a post was missing. I'll write the latter off to people politely forgiving a lapse on my part and the former to my simply being tired at the end of a long week. Thus we move on.

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"For this God is our God for ever and ever; he will be our guide even to the end." (Psalm 48:14, NIV)

"You guide me with your counsel, and afterward you will take me into glory." (Psalm 73:24, NIV)

"...He guides me in paths of righteousness..." (Psalm 23:3, NIV)

I find more and more in my life that there is rarely anything that is black and white. In fact, I find many of my decisions are choosing between the lesser of two evils (or, even worse, the least of many evils). Perhaps there is a way, given proper contemplation, energy, and resources, to make everything right, to always rise up in a situation and help everyone win. Most of us, however, can't be expected to be perfect all the time. So, within our daily limits, how do we find our way?

This reminds me of the day my father asked me why I was taking a course in ethics. He argued that everyone inherently knows what's right and wrong, and they'll act accordingly. He was of the opinion that noone needed a college-level course on what was "right" to behave better in the world. I explained to him that the course wasn't about what was ethical, it was how to decide what was ethical in the context of an apparent dilemma. I explained that we often have to decide what the right course is when there are unclear or contradictory guidelines, and I cited a number of examples being used in my course at the time (I seem to recall that he was particularly taken by the example of the young child in need of a blood transfusion but whose parent, being Jehovah's Witnesses, refused to allow it).

Ethics, and many related studies, including studies in religion, can guide us in decisions where it seems the course is not obvious. However, I want to believe that in some way my father was right - we all do know what's right, and if we listen to our hearts, and to God, we will always find the way. Perhaps the best ethicist, and the best religious leader, simply helps us hear ourselves more clearly.

May God guide us and give us strength.

The Good, The Bad, and The Holy

Why do bad things happen to good people? Is God really controlling everything, or are we in a world truly apart from God's day-to-day control? As this discussion has already begun, and it seems there's plenty to say on the matter, let me simply give this meditation to kick things off:

When times get bad, people cry out for help.   They cry for relief from being kicked around, But never give God a thought when things go well,   when God puts spontaneous songs in their hearts, When God sets out the entire creation as a science classroom,   using birds and beasts to teach wisdom. People are arrogantly indifferent to God—   until, of course, they're in trouble,   and then God is indifferent to them. There's nothing behind such prayers except panic;   the Almighty pays them no mind. So why would he notice you   just because you say you're tired of waiting to be heard, Or waiting for him to get good and angry   and do something about the world's problems?

Job 35:9-15, The Message

May the Creator bestow good things on you all this week.

Just FYI

Since I've stepped up the pace in posting, I just want to be sure my readers know they can access the blog several different ways:

The site: http://kehilla.blogspot.com/

The site feed (Atom): http://kehilla.blogspot.com/atom.xml

Email: http://groups.google.com/group/kehilla (gets emailed all new posts and comments)

Hope this helps stir up more activity!

House and Home

We're approaching Sukkot, the Festival of Booths. Allow me a brief history of this holiday. Following receipt of the Ten Commandments at Mt. Sinai, the Jews wandered the desert for 40 years. During that time, they lived, according to the story, in booths made of flimsy materials (i.e. what they had available), but with the roofs relatively open such that they could still commune with the heavens and God. Later, when the Jews settled in Israel, they lived in these same types of structures during harvest season, as it was easier to live in a tent in the fields rather than haul miles home for a two hour nap. As such, harvest season and a variety of allegorical timelines lead us to the occurance of Sukkot right after Yom Kippur.

Today's posting links to those tents. Was that home? Could someone really call a flimsy array of sticks and leaves home?

I've moved around a lot. I was born in Baltimore, lived near Chicago, lived in Indiana, went to high school near Philadelphia, and then went off to college, graduate school, and medical school. I've lost track of how many different addresses I've had. A history like this leads to some interesting introspection as to what I define as "home" for me.

In general, people use the term many different ways. Some say home is "where the heart is" while others define it as a place they feel safe. Many define it historically, i.e. where they're from, where their family is from, or where their heritage is from. But in the end, what makes something home?

In recent years, I've finally found places I can call home, but I still can't define the term. I am tempted in this forum, however, to ask if there isn't a spiritual manifestation of home?

"...Make yourselves at home in my love. If you keep my commands, you'll remain intimately at home in my love...." (John 15:9, The Message)

"I've made ... God my home." (Psalm 73:28, The Message)

Can God's love make us feel at home with ourselves? Perhaps leaving the roof off your sukkah makes that simple booth into a home by allowing God in. This holiday, I'll certainly look at that silly little tent differently. For now, however, I'm going home.