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More from the MLK Memorial

 

Make a career of humanity...

I had to share this photo . I was pleasantly surprised to see it at the MLK Memorial today in DC. I've added a few other of my favorite quotes as well.

Refocussing My Energy, California-Style

I'm sitting on a brick patio at a coffee and tea house in sunny San Diego. There's a man playing light jazz on the sax as a red trolly passes by, ringing its bell to alert pedestrians. The air is cool and I think to myself on this Sunday morning how grateful I am for life and all it can afford.

I've slowed down and am re-centering my energy internally, contemplating meaning and purpose in life. It's a good place to be.

I believe we all need to take time to move away from the crowds, to still the chatter in our lives, and to remind us what is important. There's so much noise that it's hard to hear at times. Or at least to hear clearly.

Here are some questions I'm contemplating this morning:

What do I spend my emotional energy on? And is it productive to spend it on those things? Is it really worth it?

Am I living life from a space that says good things are coming to me? Am I able to trust the process of life? Or do I worry what might go wrong? (Most of those imagined scenarios never really happen anyway.)

How am I being controlled by fear? Fear of the future? Fear of what people may or may not think? Fear cancels out faith. It annihilates hope too. Period. So fear is not allowed.

I don't have simple answers for these questions. They can be complicated to reflect on, even as life is complicated. However, the onus is on me to keep it simple. To keep first things first. To live my life guided by higher operating principles in spite of any present challenges. In fact, present challenges necessitate living by higher principles!

So I'm refocussing my energy this morning. I'm recalling the good things in my life. I'm practicing gratitude. I'm giving thanks in all things. Even the things that try me for it's in the trials that I'm made stronger.

Now back to my coffee.

Terrible & Wonderful, Ugly & Beautiful

Most people don't speak candidly about their lives. The stuff of life--trauma, abuse, or out-of-control behavior--is generally too grotesque and overwhelming for people to reflect on, let alone share publicly. Shame and fear incarcerate and keep one in isolation.

Jenny Skylark Kuvin is a notable exception to that. In The Terrible & Wonderful, Ugly & Beautiful Story of My Life So Far, Jenny shares her journey without shame, fear, or excuse, highlighting how one just doesn't survive but also comes to accept the terrible and wonderful, ugly and beautiful that oft characterizes human existence on this planet.

Jenny's story is a page-turner. When one thinks things can't get worse, they do. And yet their is a scarlet thread of redemption woven throughout, a voice calling to her through the darkness that all is not for naught.

I recommend Jenny's book to anyone who is wondering how bad things in life can be transfigured for one's good. I recommend Jenny's book to anyone who who has been impacted by sexual trauma, physical or emotional abuse, or addiction. I recommend Jenny's book because she's become a dear friend, personal rabbi, and prophetic voice in my life this past year.

This story is not about religion or answers. It is about radical honesty, acceptance of life's incongruities, and transformation. 

Her story to me echoes the lyrics of Dolly Parton in Travelin' Thru:

God made me for a reason and nothing is in vain

Redemption comes in many shapes with many kinds of pain.

Her story will inspire you to find your own redemption in very real pain. Truly, nothing is in vain.

 

Jenny and I at her smicha--rabbinical ordination--in New York City last week.

Jenny being anointed by her ninety-eight-year-old rebbe, Rabbi Gebelman. 

Farm and Agricultural Project in Pointe des Mangles, Haiti

We are working on a farm and agricultural project with Food for the Poor in Pointe des Mangles, about 26 kilometres north of Gonaives.  We cross several mountains on a dirt road to get to the fishing village by the sea.

A couple of hundred people were waiting for us when we arrived.

 

I am astounded by the lack in this village.  We were told that in the census three years ago the population was 6000 but since the storms there are now about 7000 - 8000 people in this area that rely on the village for their needs.  What makes things worse is that there is no fresh water for this area, only water from the ocean.

Feeding the People of Pont Quenepe, Gonaives

As part of our development program at the community center and school this week, we fed several hundred people. 

There are many hungry men, women and children in this area. One old woman said she hadn`t eaten in a long while and could only stare at the plate of beans, rice, and chicken.

Day 2 Leadership Development and Teaching in Pont Quenepe

A wonderful, full and eventful day today!  Other than a black out for about five hours this afternoon, everything went smoothly.  We even had clouds come over head which cooled things down when we lost the electricity. 

The project at Pont Quenepe is nothing short of miraculous.  What was once barren ground is now developped with a community centre and school, thanks to the cooperative efforts of a Palm Beach donor, Food for the Poor and Covenant Centre International.