While Standing (Six Feet Apart) on One Foot
March 26, 2020
I was honestly puzzled about what I was going to write about today. Like you, I am reading the news for simple facts so I can make informed and correct decisions. That takes quite a bit of time. And, often, I can find something that strikes me. But somehow, nothing made an impact on me at this moment. So, I got dressed with some random jeans and T-shirt and came downstairs. It was then that the universe sent me a message.
The random T-shirt I chose without even looking was the T-shirt I got last summer when I was a bunk buddy at Camp Erin, the weekend camp for children who are grieving the death of someone close to them and whose family send them to camp for a weekend of shared grief and shared fun.
And that is when I heard the voice of the universe. And this is what it said: stop kvetching, so many people are truly suffering, do whatever you can to bring a measure of assurance and peace and love.
The people of Beth Miriam seem to be doing alright. May God bless and keep the virus…..far, far away from everyone! I have called so many people in the congregation over the past several days and hope to get to all of you to check in by the end of the weekend. We all seem to be holding our own even though some of our people have people who are ill or who tested positive. We are praying for all of them. But no one is happy about being kept at home. (As for me, I never thought taking out the garbage was going to be a highlight of my day!) And yet, in all this, people were delighted to hear that there are others who care about them and who are reaching in.
One of my rabbinic colleagues made the point the other day that we must never underestimate the psychological and spiritual power of our virtual services, classes and communities. The outside connections, seeing a friendly face, meeting new people from the community and the congregation are creating holy connections that I predict will long outlive this pandemic.
When people struggle together to create something especially in an difficult situation, there is a feeling of real accomplishment and a shared satisfaction that can’t be found in isolation. One day we will be retelling our stories of this moment in history and I know they will be stories of reaching out while others were reaching in. That, to me, is the real miracle that is happening before our eyes.
