Hear Our Voice

God, Divine One, Force that animates us all, You are the One who calls upon us, your human partners in repairing the world, declaring to us, “Chazak v’amatz!”  “Be strong and resolute” that in our convictions, we are able to muster both the energy to call out the ills of our society, our communities, and ourselves, as well as the conviction, that even when facing harsh critique, we stand firm.  God, Source of all life, the core at the core of the essential unity we too often cover up with fear, let our political leaders walk the walk of strength and courage; let us give them time, energy, honesty and even patience. 

And God, let us channel humility.  Let us know it and understand it, for in your appellation, You model the humbleness of the heavens.  At the moment of revelation at Sinai, You do not call Yourself the Creator, but the One who dwells with the downtrodden, who stands at the gates with the ill, who sets free the enslaved.  When Moses asks for Your name, it is not a grand and proper noun, like King or Sovereign or Your Grace, it is a verb, Ehyeh, I will be, Ehyeh, calling out to all your children, with the greatest of humility, that if You do not call Yourself completed, if You are still in process, how dare we presume of ourselves anything more.  We do not possess the best ideas that have ever been thought.  We have not attained the greatest achievements that can be claimed.  We have certainly not bequeathed the greatest legacy one could build.  No, we are all of us, works in progress, and we all have a little more homework to do. 

I was invited here tonight to offer a prayer of unity.  Unity?  God, I hope so.  I pray tonight that we become the light that dispels the darkness, and that we do not ourselves succumb to the strategies of division in the name of unity.  I pray that we will refrain from working the angles, from seeking to cover the spread, from overwhelming our humility with pride, in how we deal with our enemies, and most especially, in how we deal with our friends. 

From the book of Numbers comes a most beautiful set of words – the Birkat HaCohanim, the Priestly Benediction.  In my estimation, the most uniting prayer of all.  For with it, we call upon the Divine, and seek to be blessers blessing those who need to be blessed – meaning each and every one of us.  So I ask you all, to grab hands, and channel blessing and goodness to and through each other, for we are God’s hands and God’s hearts, eyes, tongues.

Yevarechecha Adonai v’yishmerecha – May bless you and keep you.

Yaer Adonai Panav Eilecha vi-chuneka – May God’s face shine upon you and be gracious to you.

Yisa Adonai panav eilecha v’yasem lecha shalom.  May God lift God’s face to you and grant you the greatest gift in life, peace in a world of peace.