Daily Prophets
Day 116
“I am going to bring her relief and healing. I will clean them of all sins which they committed against Me, and I will forgive them… again shall be heard in … Jerusalem…the sound of mirth and gladness, the voice of the bridegroom and bride, those who cry Give thanks to the Lord of Hosts for God is good and God’s kindness is forever.”(Jeremiah 33:6,8,10,11).
This is a prophecy from Jeremiah while sitting in prison. Imagine the connection and commitment Jeremiah has to God. He is imprisoned for preaching God’s words and, with the possibility of a worse fate, Jeremiah continues to speak God’s words and Truth to power. This is what is so amazing about the prophet as a person to me. If we could only have this loyalty and dedication, our world would be so much better.
In the first verse above, God is giving us the hope for better days. God is letting us know that, while we abandoned God, God has not abandoned us. God is going to bring us relief and healing. This is not a hope, this is a promise from God. The relief is that we will be returned to our land, our city of Jerusalem, the relief is, I believe, that we will be able to live without shame for our prior acts.
We will be cleansed of all sins, we will be made clean from all prior acts, according to Jeremiah. We will also be forgiven. What a promise, what a commitment, what a relief, to be able to return after the bad actions we committed. This is, in my opinion, what unconditional love is. It is something each and every one of us can practice. Being open to the T’Shuvah of another(s), forgiving someone who has harmed you with an openness and connection that is cleansing for both you and the person you are re-engaging with. This is acting Godly.
When God does this, Jerusalem gets filled with the shouts of “bridegroom and bride”, meaning new life and continuing new life will make Jerusalem alive again after the period of desolation it experienced while we were in exile. We returnees know that we are back only because of the Grace of God and we cry to ourselves, to each other “God’s kindness is forever”. Remembering that the entire population suffered the devastation, teaches us that everyone participated in the destruction and exile, especially those who thought they were so perfect and above everyone else. Since God does this for and to us daily, how are we shouting and praising God’s kindness, goodness and love?
Rabbi Heschel teaches: “The climax of Jeremiah’s prophecy is the promise of a covenant which will mean not only complete forgiveness of sin, but also a complete transformation of Israel.”(The Prophets pg. 129/30). As I read these words, I am struck by the wisdom and truth of Rabbi Heschel’s words. When we do T’Shuvah, when we return to God, to family, friends, the world; we do so transformed by our experiences, by the love and kindness of God and the covenant of repair, change and hope. This new covenant, which has to be grown and committed to each and every day, is a cleansing of our past errors and a path forward that uses the lessons of the past to enhance today and tomorrow. We get to experience this transformation when we are able to acknowledge our errors. There is never any repair for someone who doesn’t acknowledge they have erred. This is the bane of our existence both in the days of the Prophets and today-people in power do not want to acknowledge their errors, they want to blame another(s) and not seek out God for help with their errors, rather they seek God for power. Because of this behavior, the same fate awaits us as befell Jerusalem and Judah-exile and destruction because of stiff-heartedness.
In recovery, we rejoice each and every day in the resurrection of our lives. We have been restored to health by God and we know it. We give thanks and shout Hallelujah many times a day to God for cleansing us, for forgiving us, and for transforming us. We have a new covenant with God, with the people around us, with the people we have harmed. This new covenant is based in kindness and love, doing the next right thing no matter how we feel, reviewing our actions daily; admitting our errors quickly and repairing them as well as acknowledging our goodness. We also commit to spreading the word of God to others who seek us out, caring for the poor and the needy, joining in the joy of another without jealousy or envy, giving thanks to God for everything we have and don’t have.
I have been cleansed and I have been forgiven. I continue to seek forgiveness for my errors, I continue to repair my inner life and outer actions, I continue to change my vision and grow and I continue to have hope for self and another(s) of greater, stronger and deeper connection with God and with people. I also know that rejoicing in my portion is so important. I haven’t been jealous of what another(s) has (except for private jets:)) for the years of my recovery and connection with God. In fact, jealousy is a key to my disconnection from God and from people. I am grateful for what I have and what I don’t have. I am grateful for what you have as well. Living a life of transformation takes great work and brings great joy-are you willing to join God, Jeremiah and so many of us in this endeavor? Stay safe and God Bless, Rabbi Mark