I have not been much of a street protester. While there are many things that are going on in our country and in the world that are deeply disturbing to me, I have not been moved to take to the streets. Finding impactful ways to share our voices around issues of concern is essential. And, using our voices publicly in a street protest is an important way to demonstrate how we feel and what we think around different issues, showing solidarity and support for people who are suffering.
Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel famously marched with Martin Luther King Jr. in advocating for racial equality, and was known for saying that he was “praying with his feet.” This statement has always illustrated to me the necessary fusion of prayer and action. It’s not enough to connect to the Divine Presence that fills creation just through recognizing that Connecting Presence in heart and mind; we need to act in ways that affirm that reality. For me, “Praying with my feet,” means any ACTION I take that affirms the inherent dignity of all human beings and all of life. There are many different ways to protest.
I share these thoughts because like many, I have been concerned and disturbed by ICE’s actions in Los Angeles, Portland, Washington D.C and now Minneapolis. For me, this is not a political issue about immigration. There is tremendous value in strong borders and a thorough assessment process of who we let into our country. There is also tremendous value in providing a path for people who are looking for a new life – to start over in this land of opportunity. I am concerned and disturbed by the way that people are taken from their homes and their families without due process or reliable information. And of late, the murders of Renee Good and Alex Pretti have broken my heart open leaving me speechless. How do the families and friends of these individuals process the information that they were killed by agents of our government as a result of peacefully protesting a situation that concerns them? While Alex Pretti carried a gun as his second amendment right, he never drew it because he didn’t think he was in a situation where he needed to protect himself. He wasn’t being threatened by other protesters and he certainly didn’t think he needed to protect himself against government agents whose job is to keep U.S citizens safe.
So what can I do? I am broken and horrified. While I appreciate those who take to the streets, unfortunately even risking their lives, I am not moved to use my voice this way. I have read some of my rabbinic colleagues accounts of their time in Minneapolis this past week and how much their actions meaningfully connected them to our faith. And yet for me, I’m not sure what to do.
In our online meditation session this week, one of my students aptly shared that the verse from the Psalms that we used to open this week’s meditation was one that helped her affirm her similar experience and also stay open to the Divine Presence that fills creation. The verse (Ps. 118:5) Min hameitzar karati Yah, anane b’merchav Yah – “From the narrow place, I call to God, and God answers me with expansiveness” affirms both the narrow and the expanse and it’s that balance of attention that we need most right now.
If we focus is only on the expanse – the everpresent realities of love, life, compassion and infinite presence, and attempt to minimize our discomfort with suffering and injustice by ignoring or rationalizing the situation, then the closing of our hearts to what is outside us also closes our hearts to what is inside us, because they are ultimately one and the same. Our spiritual world becomes a sham because ultimately we focus our attention only on what is comfortable for the ego, strengthening it’s influence in our awareness. And of course, we also close off possibilities for how we can act and make a difference in the situation.
And, if we focus only on the narrow – the horror, the despair, the sense of powerlessness, we lose touch with the Divine Presence that is here with us and with those in L.A, Portland, D.C, and Minneapolis, in protestors and in ICE agents – in our administration and those who oppose it.
The verse from the Psalms invites us to hold a balance of attention where we call out from our narrow place. We express how our hearts hurt with the situation – we feel it and we honor it. And the very fact that we are calling out to God affirms that we are aware that this expansive Divine Presence is holding all of us as well. We don’t call out to God to save us – we call out from our pain with the affirmation that God is already here.
What is crucial is that we don’t let ourselves get desensitized to suffering and injustice. We stay present with our humanity and we let our hearts hurt. And…we don’t get lost in it – we don’t give in to anger, reaction, resignation or despair. Instead, we stay connected to the life giving Presence that makes it all worthwhile. And to trust that with that balance of attention, we will know when it is time to act – to be authentically inspired as to how we can step forward in a way that makes a positive difference in somebody else’s life. Everyday I am inspired to share kindness, presence, and help create positive opportunity for others. I remain open to what role I can play in this current crisis in our country.