G-d to not eat any chametz for a week to help us remember the events that surrounded our exodus from Egypt. Just as we clean our homes of chametz we also try to clean our lives of personal spiritual chametz too. Anything that might rise up and separate us from G-d or from each other. As hard as it is to give our homes a thorough cleaning (especially when cleaning is already not your thing and you have a 3 year old;) getting rid of spiritual chametz can be just as challenging if not harder.
“The test of faith is whether I can make space for difference. Can I recognize God's image in someone who is not in my image, who language, faith, ideal, are different from mine? If I cannot, then I have made God in my image instead of allowing him to remake me in his.”
~ Rabbi Jonathan Sacks
I have to admit there was a time in my life when I would have seen someone Muslim and even some Christians and thought we couldn't be close friends. I even had some fear and mistrust when it came to people of other faiths. I never hated anyone for being Christian or Muslim that sort of thing is not in my nature. I also always felt strongly that all religious choices should be welcomed and protected after all this is America. But how could I ever be close friends with someone who has a different faith then mine? You have to have things in common. Right? This was my personal spiritual chametz rising up and separating me from others who I thought were not like me.
Last week I sat around a large table and participated in a Seder that included Christians, Muslims and Jews. All of the women around the table are dear friends of mine whom I learn so much from every time we get together. I have been involved in the Daughter's of Abraham for almost a year and it has changed me so much for the better.
The first meeting I attended was nerve wracking. Which is silly because I had asked to join the group. On my way to the meeting I was talking to myself yes I am one of those people. Why am I doing this? I'm an Orthodox Jew and a Zionist this isn't going to work. Am I going to have to give up some part of me, some part of what I believe to be part of this group? I walked in and was hugged immediately by a smiling Turkish women in a hijab who welcomed me and said she was so glad I was there. I felt better immediately. I found out quickly that not only did I not have to give up any part of what I believed to be part of this group it made my faith stronger. Each meeting we talk about our faith and what we believe and how we live that out. We listen to one another with respect and love. Something amazing happens when we do this we discover so much about ourselves and each other. We also find out more often then not we have much more in common then we ever thought. I can now say that I can see
G-d's image in each person in our group and that it has made me a better person. I have learned that focussing on peace for the whole world is difficult and overwhelming but building bridges and making peace in my little corner of this world is possible and I have to a least try to do what I can to make that happen. A couple weeks ago I along with 3 of my fellow "daughters" were interviewed for the Religion section of the Arkansas Democrat Gazette about our experiences with each other and our group. So keep an eye out for that in your Saturday paper to read more about our Daughter's of Abraham group and what it means to each of us.
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| Me and my sweet friend Burchin. She was the smiling one who hugged me at the first Daughters of Abraham meeting I attended! |
I still have a lot of spiritual chametz to work through and I think I always will. This is part of why I think it's important to do this inner reflection every year to try to become just a little bit better of a person then I was last year. Wishing everyone a Happy and Peaceful Passover!
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| One of our Muslim "daughter's" reading a Haggadah |
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