We are shocked and saddened by all that is going on in the world: beheadings by ISIS, Hamas’ use of innocent civilians as human shields to protect their terrorists, killings and rapes in Darfur, hostage situations in Australia and school shootings too numerous to fathom. Whether we call it “war,” “insanity” or “genocide,” we should be mortified by these acts of inhumanity, yet the world is largely silent.
As a clergyman who has ministered to those of many faiths, but, most importantly, as a human being who believes that each of us is created in God’s image, I am appalled by these latest iterations of man’s cruelty to man. In today’s world, even the lives of politically neutral civilians living among terrorists have no value. Death and dying are deified by these radicals. Life, civility and human sensitivity are treated with disdain.
In Jewish thought, God’s gift of life is most precious. We need to cherish every second, every breath we take. We dare not take life for granted or squander the opportunities that it has to offer. True, life is often challenging.
Indeed, sometimes, the pressures we face may seem overwhelming. But, when we put things in perspective, most of us will simply never surrender this gift.
As a chaplain, I realize that life is not only precious, it is extremely fragile. When I visit a seriously ill resident surrounded by his loving family, I see him as universal man created in God’s image. His soul has no political labels or religious denominations attached to it. His tears are not the color of his skin; they are crystal clear reflecting the purity of his soul. His cries and moaning transcend any language; they rise from the gut of his being. And those cries, emanating from his heart and soul, are prayers of the highest order.
It is during these moments of personal and family crisis that we realize we are all one. Pain and suffering is the great equalizer. Going through our personal 9/11 experiences together, we recognize that there is much more that unites us than divides us. We must treat each other with the sensitivity and dignity that we so rightfully deserve.
When universal man prays, he prays from his heart. And, when mankind prays together –all our prayers go to the same address!
**An excerpt from this blog appeared in Newsday**.
