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I suppose one of the things that the beginning of a year asks of each of us is, With what shall we fill the year?
It seems to me that this is the sense in which we say the Book of Life opens before us. What are the words with which we would fill this year? What are the images with which we would fill this year? What are the acts? If we created the kind of year upon which we could look back a year from now and truly say "Amen," truly say "Good," what would it have been?
I encourage each of us to find some of the words and some of the images with which we would celebrate a new year. To look into ourselves and ask:
The new year begins with dreams and visions, and the new year begins as well with realities. One of the realities with which this new year begins is that of killing on a land that many consider holy. It is difficult to really imagine peace when we see in the outer world, as well as springing up within ourselves — often when we least expect it — energies of anger, energies of hate, and energies of violence, energies that translate into acts of destruction of person and of place. And yet we are among those who persist in a dream that peace, in fact, can be. Perhaps, as we approach this New Year, we might open ourselves to a vision that no matter what our labels, whether Israeli or Palestinian, whether Jewish or Muslim, we become available for a wisdom deeper than the wisdom we now have. We become available for a vision greater than the vision we have now. And together we insist—we insist on remembering that violence never leads to true peace. We insist on remembering that hate never leads to love. And, even though the world's reflection right now is so different, we insist on beginning with love, and with respect, and with kavvanah, with the intention to become available for the answer, for the way, for the vision that has not yet appeared. © 2000 Rabbi Ted Falcon, Ph.D. All rights reserved. More Teachings:
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