Ghosting God, Ghosting Self
Day 25
Continuing with Einstein’s quote and looking at the macro, seeing how since time immemorial there have been people with “great spirits” in conflict with people who have “mediocre minds”, it is evident that we are deep in the throes of this battle for the soul of the U.S., the soul of Israel, the soul of the world. It is precisely this moment, when our capability to destroy everything God has created is being threatened by those ‘fine christian men’, the ‘good Jewish men’, and, not to be left out, our ‘brothers who continually preach killing the infidel muslims’, that We the People are being called upon like some of We the People were in the 60’s and 70’s.
A moment of euphoric recall: Kennedy in the White House promised youth, new thinking, “a new frontier”, positive energy-with all of his faults, with all of his infidelities, he gave us young people hope that change was possible. Martin Luther King Jr. gave us the kind of fiery sermons that, the young Jews of my generation longed to here from our Rabbis. Bobby Kennedy stood up to Jimmy Hoffa, to George Wallace, to Bull Connor, etc giving us kids hope and then John was assassinated by whom we will never know, Johnson took over and did great things for the inner workings of the country-including getting the Civil Rights Act and the Voting Rights Act passed AND he fucked up our country by lying about and escalating Vietnam. Then, when Bobby was going to run-he was assassinated by whom we will never know and Tricky Dicky paved the way for Reagan who was a closet racist, John Roberts who’s life mission was to end the Voting Rights Act, and Oliver North, et al who gave rise to Gingrich who’s lasting legacy is one of political hatred and evil who gave rise to the Tea Party and their outrage that a Black Man would be in ‘their White House’ bringing about Trump and his assault on Truth, on Freedom, on the average Joe, on everyone but himself and his family!
Mitch McConnell took over for Gingrich albeit in the Senate and has made a mockery of Freedom through his Supreme Court choices, through his loyalty to party, to making a name for himself, to wealth and NOT TO THE CONSTITUTION which he swore an oath to. He is such a “mediocre mind” that he supported Trump after his wife quit, after Trump insulted her with ethnic sneer campaign! He is consistent, I guess-he is not faithful to the vows he made to care for and defend neither the Constitution nor his wife!
My greatest disgust, as always, lies with the Clergy, the “good christian nationalists, orthodox jews, Israel love it or leave the US people of many stripes, the Israel hate it no matter what they have brought to the world in life-saving medical, technological advances, rescuing people from disasters, and the MAGA believers that TRUTH DOESN’T MATTER!! The “mediocre minds” like Hegseth, Rubio, Lutnick, Vought, Bessent, Miller are doing everything they can to kill the spirit of the United States, the spirit of Freedom. Throw in Trump’s grift and graft, the meaningless Republicans in Congress who suck up everything he says and kiss his ass and the recipe for disaster is being stirred and baked. That Black Clergy and Orthodox Jews can stand and hold hands worshipping the Golden Calf Statue of Trump in Florida, that Black and Jewish clergy defend Trump and love him because ‘he is the best president Israel has ever had’, ‘more black people are working under Trump than ever before’ is MIND BOGGLING. It is the prime example of the great spirits like Pope Leo, William Barber, Sharon Brous, encountering the “violent opposition of mediocre minds”. Unfortunately these “mediocre minds” have been winning the day, the South has risen again, the KKK is back in vogue-or at least their principles are- and disenfranchising of Black voters, of democratic voters, the trampling on the Freedoms that have made America Great is sad and, I KNOW in my bones this will change sooner rather than later.
How do I KNOW in my bones? I know because the Bible reminds me of all the times we the people Ghosted God, Ghosted our Self and then did TShuvah and returned. It has happened throughout the Bible, throughout History and it is happening now. The sad piece for me is that we Jews have forgotten the lessons of the Prophets, the ignoring of truth, of human decency that they teach us and we the people will hear their voices again, will heed them this time and We the People will throw off the yoke of “mediocre minds” and “Proclaim Freedom” in every corner of the Earth and to ALL People everywhere. This is the ACTION STEP We the People need to take!
God Bless and Stop Ghosting God, Ghosting Self, Rabbi Mark