Hear Our Voice

One of the impossibly simple questions a meditation teacher asked us was to ponder upon an “Itch.” He asked us to consider what an itch is. Of course, sitting there focusing on breathing and sitting, while trying to focus on breathing and sitting with a running dialogue in our minds that says there is a “right” way to do both things that we had learned to do since we were in kindergarten, was seeming difficult enough. Now we had to think about the metaphysical properties of the “Itch?” Oh, but it gets worse. Because the point of meditating on the “Itch” was developing the acknowledgment of the etherealness of an itch. That its “just” a projection of the mind, whose “scratch” is not dispositive proof that it existed in the first place. Yes, I know I’m going down a dangerous road here so let me shift to share where I really want to go.

As of yesterday, 111 people died and another 173 are missing, because of the floods in Kerr County this past weekend. The scope of this tragedy reaches near and far, and so many of us don’t need more than one or two degrees of separation to be touched by these heartbreaking losses. And of course, all of us want to scratch the itch of “shoulda, coulda, woulda.” There are some who have already done so publicly, in critical statements against the camp, the staff, and public executives. Others have seized the cynical opportunity to use the tragedy to grow their online profile. And yes, many of us, me included, have had that running, inner dialogue about what “THEY” should have known, could have done, and had it been up to me, I would have….Itches, at least so soon afterwards, whose scratching only make the rash worse.

Tomorrow night, CSK will gather in person for Shabbat with a special focus on memory and connection. Even if the deceased and missing are not part of our “chevre” (social circles), we understand their pain and grief, and perhaps it feels all the more intimate
because we could’ve found ourselves camping along that river or staying in a bed and breakfast or had a child or our child’s friend who could easily have been attending Camp Mystic or any others of those camps planted there because of the beauty and
wonder of nature. Let us pray together – hearts and minds open and find solace when we do.

Please join us tomorrow evening for Shabbat. Communities throughout Houston and beyond are drawing closer, especially this weekend to pray for and hold out our hearts, for the broken hearts and the lives of so many of our unknown neighbors, whose pain we can help bear with our presence. And in so doing, help ourselves as well. Due to some continuing logistical issues, CSK Shabbat services will take place at the American Red Cross tomorrow evening, 6:00 Oneg, 6:30 Service.