Ghosting God, Ghosting Self
Day 69
The more that I am writing, I realize that I am speaking about what is going on in the world and some people may not see the relevance to their own living. This is NOT my intention. What is going on around us is begins with what is going on inside of us. While I know many of you reading this blog are not cruel and indecent, all of us have a Donald Trump, Howard Lutnick, Mike Johnson, et al within us, just as we have a Moses, a George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Jacob, Esau, King David inside of us. The archetypes from the Bible reside within each of us, some traits stronger than others, some we have developed more than others, some we have jettisoned because they ‘didn’t help us get ahead’. This is the conundrum we human beings find ourselves in every day. Hence the admonition to “walk humbly with God” by both Moses and Micah. Maybe Abraham’s walking before God was a subtle hint from the Bible to be careful as to how ‘spiritual’ we call ourselves and/or another.
Graham Platner is leaving the Maine Senate race without any admission of wrongdoing. Do I know if he sexually assaulted the woman claiming he did, NO. Do I know that his other behaviors which he pooh-poohed were also out of the realm of decency, YES. Yet, he decided to blame the Democratic Leadership in DC rather than take responsibility, he decided to extol himself rather than offer an apology to the voters of Maine, which he claims to love so much. Could the woman who made the accusations be lying-I guess it is possible, yet it seems like a great conspiracy on the part of the Republicans, their supporters and, unfortunately in this day and age since the “MeToo” movement, since Trump and the assault on truth, it is possible. This is not to cast aspersions on the woman who came forward, there is plenty of smoke around Platner, it is to say that living into the subtleties of life, finding and exploiting the vulnerabilities of another, accusing people of things to serve a personal agenda, get money, is the path of the unjust and there is PLENTY of injustice happening around us.
Amos tells us: “Hate evil, love the good, and establish justice in the gate”(Amos 5:15). This is the call to all of We the People who believe in, relate to, and made a covenant with the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution, the United States of America. Yet, over and over again, We the People have allowed scoundrels to get ahead, grifters in Congress to make plenty of money from the lobbyists, on both sides of the aisle and reelected these gonifs(thieves). Rather than “hate evil” we the people have continued to return people like Mitch McConnell, Bernie Sanders, Mike Johnson, AOC to Congress and then wonder why nothing gets done?! Rather than “love the good”, we the people return people like DeSantis to be Governors of the different states, and then wonder why “we all can’t just get along”!? Being witness’ to the desecration of the rule of law by the Supreme Court reminds we the people of how far we have fallen away from Amos’ call to “establish justice in the gate”!! AND WE THE PEOPLE are still NOT RISING UP and SHOUTING “WE WON’T TAKE IT ANYMORE”!!
The reason, of course, is because in rising up and shouting “we won’t take it anymore” entails a look inside of ourselves, an honest appraisal of how we have and do give in to the same impulses we say we abhor in our politicians, in our neighbors, in our country and in our world! “Hate evil” was not just about the rich, famous, powerful, controlling forces in Ancient Israel, nor was it just about the leaders of Sodom. “Hate evil” was directed and is directed to We the People, to our own inner lives, to our own foibles and self-deceptions. “Hate evil” is not the same as trying to kill it, because as we all know from experience, the evil inclination that serves the good inclination makes us a whole, authentic, person who is BEING HUMAN! Amos is not preaching perfection, Amos is not chastising We the People which is how many people experience the prophets, rather Amos and the other prophets are reminding us of our importance, of our partnership, and rebuking we the people so we get back to being God’s partner instead of God’s adversary!
I hate in evil within me that remains untamed, that flares up at the people I love and those I don’t know. In hating it over the years, less and less remains untamed-thank God and all the people who have helped me grow over the years. It is a tough job, it is an exhausting job and it is the job that keeps me most in touch with my soul, with God, with we the people that are in my life. I know the power of “evil” within me and each day I go to war with it and each day, the power lessens a little, this lessening allows me to be hurt less and resent less those whom I don’t understand why the ghost me, why I am persona non grata with no explanation, and it doesn’t matter so much anymore-I am in acceptance of what is and in constant awareness of the “evil” that wants me.
ACTION STEP
How and what “evil’ are you no longer going to allow in your life
GOD BLESS, STOP GHOSTING GOD, GHOSTING SELF, Rabbi Mark