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Rabbi Clif Librach
FORUM ON FAITH
Rabbi reaches out to wish Christians a Merry Christmass.
by Rabbi Clifford Librach
Published: Saturday, December 26, 2008
Danbury News Times
I am a rabbi, a teacher and a leader of the Jewish people. And I am privileged to reach out to our Christian friends and neighbors and wish them a wonderful Christmas.
I am grateful to Christianity, for it has spread the word and reality of Almighty God to the four corners of the world.
I am grateful that America is predominantly a Christian country (the alternative would be a godless pagan country), for American Christianity (unlike its European antecedents) has shown itself to be a friend of human freedom. American Christianity is generally uninterested in the use of state power to restrict or quell the integrity or popularity of alternatives.
And I am grateful for Christmas, the great Christian holiday that comes at this season every year.
Christmas is a holiday of Christian history, celebrating the birth of Jesus of Nazareth , the Lord Jesus Christ to the Christian world. Jews have many holidays of Jewish history, among which Passover, Sukkot, Shavuot, Purim and Hanukkah are most prominent.
Passover is the ritualized retelling and reliving of the exodus of the Israelites from Egypt to freedom in the wilderness, on our way to the Holy Land.
Christmas is a holiday of giving, in which gift-giving to loved ones, friends and others is a form of sacred mimicry of the gift-bearing wise men who first celebrated the holy birth. Our holiday of Purim includes the mitzvah (sacred obligation) of gift-giving to loved ones, friends and the poor.
Christmas is a holiday of family togetherness and memory. So many warm stories of the decoration and celebration of Christmas by the grand family project of a Christmas tree have filled the collective memories of Christian families.
For Jews, the annual building of a sukkah -- a temporary booth reminiscent of our fragile wilderness shelter -- which involves construction and decoration often by the hands of children, is a rich parallel tradition.
Christmas is a holiday of hope and joy to the world. For Jews, the most important day of the year comes at the end of each week, the Sabbath.
For us, the Sabbath is a sign of renewal and hope -- a recurring privilege of joy for a people who, when they engage and keep the Sabbath, know it as a veritable restoration and rejuvenation for an ever-challenging time and an ever-impatient people.
Christmas is a holiday of peace on earth. For Jews, no spiritual goal is more precious than shalom -- peace, completeness, unity and the end of enmity.
The popular mythic personality of the modern Christmas, Santa Claus (or Father Christmas, as he is known in other parts of the world), although not a formal Christian symbol, is an unmistakable embodiment of the sacred themes of joy, gift-giving, divine judgment and forgiveness.
For us Jews, the spirit and personality of the prophet Elijah mysteriously comes each year to our Passover tables to unite parents and children, to answer our most vexing questions, and perhaps even to foretell the coming of the Messiah.
I am honored and privileged to wish the greater region of Danbury and western Connecticut a merry, joyous and meaningful Christmas.
Rabbi Cliff Librach leads the United Jewish Center in Danbury.
Rev. Leo McIlrath
FORUM ON FAITH
by Rev. leo McIlrath
Published: Friday, December 19, 2008
Danbury News Times
"And suddenly, there was with the angels, a multitude of the heavenly hosts, praising God and saying: "Glory to God in the highest; and peace on earth to men (and women) of good will."
God's greatest miracles often go unnoticed unless there are messengers and angels to announce them. Since God's gifts of peace, justice and reconciliation are hidden in the ordinariness and ugliness of human history, there must be angels to point them out.
Perhaps that's one of the important lessons of Christmas. This year, the Christmas stars look down on a scene that appears very ordinary and, in many places, quite ugly. There are colorful lights, the exchanging of gifts, holiday meals, the singing of carols -- but there are also cries of hunger, the darkness of war, the emptiness of loss, the exchange of gunfire, issues of immigration and unanswered questions regarding "Room in the Inn." Where are the signs of peace, good will and God's glory?
The miracle of Christ's coming in our flesh, taking on our humanity and making it holy, seems hidden indeed. There need be voices that will shatter the darkness and dispel the despair. There must be messengers to reassure suffering people, everywhere, that God -- Emmanuel -- is with us, that peace is possible and that justice is attainable.
We who believe the miracle of Christmas must be the messengers -- to announce God's presence and the saving word of Jesus to the suffering people around us -- by our words, our actions and our lives. It brings a sense of wonder and awe of the miracle of Christmas -- our song of love and compassion for others in the ordinary circumstances of everyday life.
And we announce: "Glory to God in the highest and peace to those on whom God's favor rests." Then, and only then, will the rest of the world know how remarkable Christmas really is.
Are there Grinches among us who want to remove many of the signs and symbols of such faith and hope?
Some of these signs are sacred and others are considered secular. There are angels, shepherds, magi, stars, mangers, carols and religious rites in church. How beautifully meaningful each is.
But so are the trees, colorful decorations, lovely wrapped gifts, nostalgic motion pictures, musicals, stories and plays that tug at our heartstrings. Each sends an angelic-like message to so many in need of love and peace.
Christmas is not a forum for proselytizing. The spirit of Christmas embraces all and loves all, and supports everyone's free and conscientious decision to believe without restriction. A true Christian needs to act like the one whose name he/she professes.
The Association of Religious Communities ' inspiring Interfaith Thanksgiving Day service was celebrated in Danbury just one month ago. Hindus, Muslims, Jews, Bahais, Buddhists, Jains, Unitarians and Christians from multiple communions came together to praise the God who created us, provides for us, loves us and considers all of us as his children.
The truth we celebrate at Christmas is that God's spirit permeates all human cultures, creeds, nationalities, races and ages. It moves people to greater depths of cooperation, care and generosity, and it assures all of us of hope and healing in the face of the suffering of this fragile planet. It inspires all of us to live our lives the best we can, in ways that ennoble our neighbors and ourselves. Peace on earth and good will to all!
Does this mean that Christians cannot celebrate the birth of Jesus in whatever way they so please? Of course not. On the contrary, I would suggest that we celebrate to our heart's content -- in both the sacred and secular forums.
I share the opinion of those who come out of the '60s, linking the "Secular City" of Harvey Cox to the "City of God" of St. Augustine. I also would adopt the thesis that "Holiness is Wholeness," a title made famous by the Jesuit priest John Powell.
The theme of the previously noted Thanksgiving service was "Bridge Building." I suggest that the most important bridge needed to be built is between the holy (Creator) and the world (creation).
Now, lest you consider me a pantheist, even in the vulgar sense, I do subscribe to the philosophy/theology that we humans are at our best when we finally arrive at oneness with our God.
And that is the ultimate Christmas. Peace to all!
The Rev. Leo McIlrath is an ecumenical chaplain at the Lutheran Home of Southbury.
Cantor Penny Kessler
FORUM ON FAITH
Use national collective memory to do the right thing.
by Cantor Penny Kessler
Published: Saturday, December 5, 2008
Danbury News Times
Dec. 7 and Sept. 11 are anniversary days etched into our national collective memory. Even as generations come and go, and our memories begin to fade, there is still something in our collective psyche that remembers through a psychological muscle memory.
Judaism is a religion and a culture of memory that is the hallmark of many of our festivals and the very essence of a collective national memory.
Israeli tour guides speak of this or that historical event as though it happened yesterday; visitors to Israel come away with the sense that something that happened thousands of years ago took place just a few years ago.
On Passover we remember that we were slaves in Egypt and our celebration is a physical recreation of the experience of God bringing us out of slavery, leading us 50 days later to receive the Torah on Shavuot.
Similarly, Sukkot is a physical recreation of our harvesting days, physically reminding us of the fragility of our lives.
Every Shabbat is a physical reminder of God's creating the world and resting on the seventh day as well as a remembrance of our leaving Egypt; and just as we are commanded to observe Shabbat, we are equally commanded to remember it. As one of our Shabbat prayers puts it, memory and observance are the same word.
In a few weeks we will celebrate Hanukkah. Like Passover, Shavuot and Sukkot -- indeed, like most of our festivals -- Hanukkah is all about the Jewish collective memory.
On each of the eight nights when we light the candles in our Hanukkah menorah, we praise God for all the things God did for us "in those days at this time."
Our Hanukkah worship services include a passage from the Book of Maccabees describing the outrage of Antiochus' desecration of the temple in Jerusalem and the fight to be allowed to worship as Jews.
The Jewish collective memory has allowed us Jews to maintain our identity in a world of ever- increasing assimilation. Many of our mitzvahs (commandments to do acts of charity) rely on that memory: We were slaves to Pharaoh in Egypt, so we must remember what it felt like in order to have compassion for strangers, immigrants, poor and less fortunate people.
Our harvest experience reminds us that it is our obligation to feed hungry and poor people in our community. Our Hanukkah experience is our clarion call to struggle for the rights of the minority and to take pride and rejoice in our unique cultures.
Like the Jewish collective memory, let us use our national collective memory to do the right thing and to remember our own struggles so that we can help others.
Cantor Penny Kessler is with the United Jewish Center in Danbury.
Shazeeda Khan
FORUM ON FAITH
Islam requires actions of sacrifice and good behavior.
by Shazeeda Khan
Published: Saturday, December 12, 2008
Danbury News Times
"Those who have faith and do good works" is often repeated in the Quran in describing those who will benefit from this worldly life. In order to reach this stage, however, the soul must be disciplined, molded and be prepared to submit to God.
While the pillars of Islam serve as a form of worship, their ultimate goal is to do just that. When this goal is unfulfilled, these pillars are transformed from worship to mere rituals -- actions that don't bear fruit.
Consequently, Muslims must be conscious that Islam isn't simply the confession of faith, but that it requires actions of sacrifice and cultivation of good behavior.
This, the 12th month on the Islamic calendar, Dhul Hijja, commences with the Hajj, where both sacrifices and good works are intertwined. It comes on the heels of the month of Ramadan, a monthlong fasting that is spiritual training to acquire God-consciousness.
Whereas observing the fast is a sign of belief, the litmus test of whether God-consciousness has indeed been acquired emerges only when it results in all of one's prayers and sacrifices -- living and dying -- being done for the sake of God, the Lord of all the worlds (Quran 6:162).
In other words, religious obligations should affect how people live their lives to the degree that eventually they should die in a state of obedience to God.
The Hajj (pilgrimage) is a once-in-a-lifetime obligation with intricate rituals. The most noted rituals of Hajj are a tribute to the saga of Prophet Abraham and his family and their unyielding devotion to overcoming challenges in order to worship God. Other rituals involve Prophet Adam and his wife. May the peace of God be upon them all. These rituals represent past events that remind us of future events and should affect our present state.
As we circumambulate the Kabah, we follow in the footsteps of Prophets Abraham and Ishmael, who rebuilt it and sanctified it, and we are reminded that piety isn't based on wealth, power, social standing, race, nationality or gender, but on the degree of submission to God.
As we pray at the "Station of Abraham," we follow the actions of both prophets as they prostrated themselves to the one God.
As we move between the mountains of As-Safa and Al-Marwa, we walk in the footsteps of Hagar as she frantically searched for water to sustain her child and we are reminded of the character of believer: submissive and hopeful.
As we drink the water from the Well of Zam-Zam that sprouted up from under the feet of baby Ishmael, we are reminded that God's promise is true.
As we pelt the pillars, symbols of Satan who unsuccessfully tried to divert Abraham, Ishmael and Hagar from the obedience of God, we are reminded with each throw that as individuals we must always be vigilant against Satan's diversions and, as a family, each member is a vital part of the team in ensuring success against Satan.
As we perform our sacrifice on the final day of the Hajj, Eidul Adha, we celebrate the success of Prophets Abraham and Ishmael as they were both tested by God -- one to sacrifice the other and, just like the father, the son would be endowed with a soul of sacrifice, a desire to obey God and the capacity to transcend the diversions of Satan.
As we share our sacrifice with the poor, family and friends, we are reminded that faith must induce good works and good works must enforce and strengthen our faith: "It's neither their meat nor their blood that reaches Allah; it's your piety that reaches Him" (Quran 22:37).
One of the most important events of the Hajj occurs on the "Day of Arafat," as it is said to be the essence of Hajj. This occurs on the plains of Mount Arafat, where it is believed that Adam and Eve were reunited to begin their earthly life and where they implored God for forgiveness, and they were forgiven. It is also where mankind will be assembled for judgment before God.
This day is for self-reflection, a day of abundant remembrance of God and beseeching his forgiveness and mercy.
Islam is rich with religious obligations that are meant to temper behaviors. One must not deceive himself into thinking that just because he has performed these duties that he has benefited from them when he is still involved in backbiting, slandering, unethical and unjust practices -- this is the very description of a person bankrupted on the Day of Judgment.
Shazeeda Khan is a member of the Islamic Society of Western Connecticut in Danbury.
Polly Castor
FORUM ON FAITH
Thanksgiving is over, but the time for gratitude is not.
by Polly Castor
Published: Saturday, November 28, 2008
Danbury News Times
"Are you grateful for the good already received? Then you shall be fitted to receive more," remarks Mary Baker Eddy, the founder of Christian Science.
This spiritual law relates directly to our present concerns over the economy and what we can do about it.
I am not at all wealthy, but feel very rich. I know what it is like to struggle financially and worry about money. Twelve years ago, I left a job as an engineer propping up skyscrapers in New York City to become a Christian Science practitioner. I went from a major commute to none at all, from a prestigious position to a low-profile one, and from more income to less.
True, it was a choice. Helping people find healing through prayer is more satisfying than replacing steel. And I know that for a lot of people, the economic downturn has meant cutbacks that were not chosen.
But I still learned some relevant things about what so many are facing today, since this change also shook the foundation of our personal economic world.
I have gained more than I lost. I have time for my family and actually know them, enjoy them and spend time with them. We don't go out to dinner every week like we used to, but we go to the library often. We don't go shopping at the mall, but we hike a lot in our local parks.
The quality of time that comes from creatively not spending money is more incredible than you might imagine. We are surrounded by beauty, ideas and love that we miss when we are busy exercising ourselves as consumers.
As I often tell clients, attitude is a large part of healing. If I had not embraced this change, I might not have perceived so readily these positive aspects.
We get more of what we focus on. If you focus on lack, or concern over the economy, you'll get more of that.
On the other hand, if you focus on the good you are grateful for, the more you'll receive. The more you trust God, the more you will discover reasons for that trust.
My husband, starting a fledgling business, isn't making any more money than I am. But every week he has time to bring hope to local prison inmates, record books for the blind and volunteer at church. With a good attitude and a hand ready to help others, one will not starve.
He has spent much time in the recent months cleaning out our basement, which was overflowing with stuff. If you saw the volume of hand-me-downs that he took to Goodwill, you'd see proof of what Jesus says in the Sermon on the Mount, "Generosity begets generosity" (The Message, Luke 6:38).
Supply comes in many ways other than money. And remember, you'll never get enough of what you never needed to begin with. And how much is enough? Material things can be a burden.
As Christmas approaches, my three children have few requests, if any, on what they want for Christmas. They are obviously not feeling deprived because of the lack of funds. (One wants a fountain pen, another is out of white oil paint.)
Is this solely because of the lack of TV marketing that has reached their eyes, or is it because they feel fulfilled, and loved, and already have interests they are pursuing?
They value what they are learning, doing and becoming, and their identity is not tied to getting or having the next material thing. They have learned that growing internally is better than accumulating externally.
My son got candy he likes for his birthday in August, but has not eaten it. Do you think he will be getting candy in his stocking this Christmas? No.
This points to another spiritual truth. Not only do we need to be grateful for the good we receive, we need to use it, not hoard it, to receive more.
Use what you have without fear. "Divine Love always has met and always will meet every human need," Mary Baker Eddy assures us.
In the Old Testament, Isaiah urges, "Ho, every one that thirsteth, come ye to the waters, and he that hath no money; come ye, buy and eat; yea, come buy wine and milk without money and without price.
"Wherefore do ye spend money for that which is not bread? And your labor for that which satisfieth not?" (Isaiah 55:1, 2).
A statistic I heard recently made clear that if you can read, own a computer and have a full refrigerator, you are in the top 1 percent of the world economically.
This levels the playing field here in Fairfield County, and provides an important reality check. We can be grateful so many of us here are in that 1 percent, and turn our thoughts to helping the rest.
Trust God, be generous, help others and be grateful. This is the divine economy where we all can be secure and rich.
Polly Castor is a Christian Science practitioner and member of First Church of Christ, Scientist, in Ridgefield. She can be reached at PollyCastor@aol.com.
Rev. Ivan Pitts
FORUM ON FAITH
"But let justice roll down like waters, and righteousness like an ever-flowing stream" (Amos 5:24).
by Rev. Ivan Pitts
Published: Saturday, November 13, 2008
Danbury News Times
Amos lived in a time of great prosperity and great decadence, and he warned the faithful not to forget the basic justice that God demands of all people who would call him Lord.
The prophetic words of Amos ring as loud today as they did several centuries ago. These words remind us of our faithful and timeless call to work and fight for social justice.
This call toward the labor of social justice is not a narrow or optional endeavor for the faithful. The call for justice goes far beyond one or two "hot button" issues like abortion and stem cell research. It calls to all the faithful and encompasses a myriad of moral and ethical issues and concerns that are often overlooked by the masses.
The task of justice speaks to the very essence of what God has called the faithful to do in their daily lives (Micah 6:8). God is a lover of justice and those who serve the Lord must speak truth to power.
The response to this call goes beyond discussion and theological reflection; it challenges the faithful to build a society where all are guaranteed the unalienable rights of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.
This mandate grows out of our understanding of the Exodus experience, the biblical teachings on social betterment and Jesus' concern for those who have been marginalized and devalued by society. The faith community has a moral obligation to free people from the despair of powerlessness and hopelessness.
In recent decades, we have been reminded that justice was preached by prophets who were scandalized by the suffering of widows and orphans forced to live in slums.
I am not suggesting that the work of justice is nonexistent in the community of faith. I am, however, suggesting that it has been significantly hindered by several factors.
In tough economic times the voice of the Prophet has been muffled by the call for profit. Financial constraints change priorities and too often negatively impact social justice services.
A narrow understanding of justice has prevented us from viewing it from a holistic perspective (Luke 4:18-19). The church must see justice in a broader sense and not limited to a couple of politically fashionable issues.
Sometimes communities of faith get caught up in the trap of looking out for our own. This kind of attitude can be very dangerous because it can exclude individuals and groups who don't fit our mode.
Communities of faith are called to be beacons of hope and a voice of encouragement to the oppressed while, at the same time, challenging the status quo. Our call cannot be hindered because of the aforementioned challenges. The faith community must seek divine guidance and divine resources to meet the divine call of social justice.
In our community there are several examples of how, in spite of current challenges, faith communities are coming together to have social impact. One such example is Pathways Academy.
sPathways Academy is a middle school for at-risk males that inspires students to live according to their divine and social capabilities. Its mission statement is "to transform the lives of at-risk boys in the Danbury community, bringing a real sense of hope and a quality, Christ-centered education, providing them with a safe and loving environment that promotes cognitive, spiritual and emotional growth for each boy."
This program is unique, in the sense that it was birthed from collaborative efforts of local communities of faith. We discovered not only are we stronger together, but that we are better together when we are doing God's work for those in need.
The community of faith can continue to make a tremendous impact if we are willing to work together and let nothing deter us from living out our call.
The Rev. Ivan Pitts is pastor of New Hope Baptist Church in Danbury and president of the NAACP Danbury chapter.
Rabbi Jon Haddon
FORUM ON FAITH
by Rabbi Jon Haddon
Published: Friday, October 31, 2008
Danbury News Times
The Association of Religious Communities will sponsor its annual Interfaith Thanksgiving Service Monday, Nov. 24, at the United Methodist Church on Clapboard Ridge from 7 to 8 p.m. We hope many people will try to attend this inspiring event.
At the beginning of the service, many sacred texts will be processed down the aisle. Rabbi Cliff Librach will usher in the service with the sounding of the traditional shofar, the ram's horn. It is a remarkable symbol and sound and, I believe, has a message for each one of us, no matter what our religion.
The shofar is the unique symbol of Rosh Hashana, the Jewish new year which has just passed. This holy day is also known as Yom Terurah -- the day of the sounding of the horn.
Our blasts of the ram's horn are to both rouse us from our apathy and, according to the mystics, lift us up and our prayers up to the heavens.
But the sounding of the shofar, of the traditional ram's horn, also reminds me of a story.
Someone once said telling a story is an act of spiritual generosity. It is a sharing of life. Stories convey our hopes, our dreams, our fears, our experiences, our wisdom and our humor.
It's not that we know stories, or "have" stories, or even collect stories. We are our stories.
Our stories unite all the parts of our lives in a coherent whole. Stories make life meaningful. We Jews have been telling stories for more than 3,000 years. That makes for a lot of stories. Into those stories the Jewish people have poured their dreams and hopes and wisdom.
One of my favorite story tellers was Jacob ben Wolf Kranz of Dubno, an 18th century Lithuanian preacher better known as the " Dubner Magid ."
The Dubner Magid told a wonderful story about a naíve villager who came to the big city for the first time. He was awaked in the middle of the night by the loud beating of drums. He inquired what all the fuss was about. He was told that a fire had broken out and the drum beating was the city's fire alarm.
On his return to the village he reported to the village elders. "They have a wonderful system in the city -- when a fire breaks out the people beat their drums and before long the fire subsides."
The city officials immediately acquired a supply of drums and distributed them to the population. When a fire broke out, there was a deafening explosion of beating drums, and while the people waited for the fire to die out, several homes burned to the ground.
A visitor to the village chastised the people. "You idiots. Do you think drum beating will put out a fire? You beat the drums as an alarm, and then you must get busy extinguishing the flames."
The Magid used this story to teach about Rosh Hashana, the Jewish new year. Some people think the shofar blasts will improve our lives all by themselves.
The shofar is the alarm, as Maimonides puts it: "Awake ye sleepers from your slumber, and rouse you from your lethargy. Scrutinize your deeds and return in repentance."
In just a few days we will exercise our right to vote for our next president and for numerous local officials. May the sound of the shofar remind us to re-examine ourselves, our values and our ideals, and to exercise that right to do the right, moral and ethical.
It is time for us to think about helping those in our community who are the most vulnerable and the most in need of our love, concern, generosity and compassion.
Growth and change are possible. Now is the time to begin.
Rabbi Jon Haddon is rabbi emeritus of Temple Shearith Israel in Ridgefield and a member of the board of directors of the Association of Religious Communities.
Dennis Bouffard
FORUM ON FAITH
by Dennis Bouffard
Published: Friday, October 24, 2008
Danbury News Times
What is the role of conscience and moral responsibility when voting? For me, a good answer is contained in a document recently released by the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, titled "Forming Consciences for Faithful Citizenship."
This document calls Catholics to examine their faith with political responsibility.
It is the bishops' responsibility to bring their faithful to a greater awareness of the common good. Though the Catholic approach to faithful citizenship begins with moral principles, the statement identifies many social concerns that I believe all citizens should be aware of.
There are seven key themes listed in the bishops' document that enable the faithful citizen to weigh the policies voiced by candidates seeking political office. These themes not only apply to national policies, but also to state and local policies. The faithful citizen seeks to understand which of these policies the candidate is representing, as well as those overlooked.
Of the seven themes, the one that is heard most often is the "right to life." The "right to life" is often focused on the unborn. However, life continues through years, decades and ends at death. Hence, the statement adds to the theme "the dignity of the human person."
This component "calls us to oppose torture, unjust war and the use of the death penalty; to prevent genocide and attacks against noncombatants; to oppose racism; and to overcome poverty and suffering" (Page 19).
The second theme deals with "Family Life, Community and Participation." The economic life of the family and community are vital aspects that enhance the dignity of the human person. A weak economy and the resulting stress in family life are issues candidates are to be aware of.
All people have the right to participate in the fullness of their society. They have the right to live with the satisfaction that their families are able to pursue the happiness upon which our nation is founded. When that right is diminished, the faithful citizen responds with voice and vote.
The third theme is that "Human dignity is respected and the common good is fostered only if human rights are protected and basic responsibilities are met" (Page 20). The U.S. Constitution was written and amended to safeguard the rights of the citizenry. How carefully do the candidates demonstrate their fidelity to the constitution?
The Founding Fathers of the country intended to preserve the basic rights of individuals in a society. The candidates can be questioned about their attentiveness to basic human rights, for example: health care, education and housing.
The plight of the poor is the fourth theme. The economic gap between the rich and the poor has been increasing over the past decades. Many individuals and families have been left to survive in a prosperous society while few get richer.
The bishops state "While the common good embraces all, those who are weak, vulnerable and most in need deserve preferential concern. A basic moral test for our society is how we treat the most vulnerable in our midst" (Page 20).
The fifth theme concerns the workplace and the responsibilities of the employed and employer. The dignity of work and the right to earn a living wage are at the heart of the debate.
A just wage is linked to a just profit. Proper working conditions are vital for workers providing labor to their employers.
"We are one family, whatever our national, racial, ethnic, economic and ideological differences." So begins the sixth theme dealing with the diversity of cultures, races and religious traditions. Love of neighbor is at the heart of Christianity. The Scriptures call us to welcome all people. Victims of racism, poverty and injustices are our brothers and sisters. We are our brother's keepers. This is our global perspective of humanity.
Finally, stewardship is the focus as we become more aware of the need to care for our world. Decisions geared toward one's needs without taking into consideration the consequences experienced by current or future generations is a crime. There is a moral obligation to consider the effects of how the environment is cared for or neglected for personal gain.
How does a candidate measure up to each of these issues? Perhaps no candidate subscribes to all. However, listening to their speeches and debates will enable the voter to know who best represents the greater good of their constituents and the nation.
Denis Bouffard is a member of St. Gregory the Great Roman Catholic Church and a retired teacher.
Rabbi Clifford E. Librach
FORUM ON FAITH
by Rabbi Clifford E. Librach
Published: Friday, October 17, 2008
Danbury News Times
This is the season when the Jewish people read the difficult and moving book named (in Hebrew) "Kohelet" (after its author) or, as it is rendered in Latin and English, Ecclesiastes.
The text is often described as melancholy, even maudlin or morose. It famously opens (in most English translations) with the stern and sober admonition: "Vanity of vanities, all is vanity!"
Ecclesiastes is disillusioned with life because he believes it is all in vain: he abhors the idea of leaving his life's work behind for someone else to enjoy or to squander.
Whereas all the great emperors and kings of old strove to achieve eternal life by erecting grand monuments to themselves, Ecclesiastes understands that such attempts are illusory. He is therefore forced to pose the elementary question: If I die anyway, why does anything matter?
But Ecclesiastes' first word is not his last. Indeed, there are numerous passages that move in the opposite direction: affirming the positive value of a joyful life.
The same Ecclesiastes who appears to say so often that all is vanity also exclaims that "there is nothing better than for man to rejoice" (3:22) and that "nothing is better for man under the sun than to eat, drink, and be joyful" (8:15).
Conventional interpretations offer little help in resolving these contradictions.
Encyclopedia Britannica, for example, says simply of Ecclesiastes that "the author examines everything -- material things, wisdom, toil, wealth -- and finds them unable to give meaning to life."
This is the result of the literal translation of the Hebrew word "hevel" as "vanity." The word appears 38 times in the text, and it is clearly critical to understanding the book's message.
Yes, its "dictionary definition" is that of futility or meaninglessness. But "Hevel" is also the Hebrew name of Abel, Cain's brother, the son of Adam and Eve -- the first human being truly embraced by God, and the first human being to die.
Just two verses after humankind was denied the tree of eternal life (in Genesis), Abel's story becomes the embodiment of human mortality.
Could it be that Ecclesiastes is reaching for a different meaning altogether than to decry the vanity of all existence?
"And the dust returns to the ground as it was, and the lifebreath returns to God who bestowed it." Hevel havalim, Ecclesiastes says. All is Hevel! (12:5-8).
When we read that "the Lord heeded Abel/Hevel and his offering" (Genesis 4:4), the verb "heeded" (vayisha) carries a powerful overtone of deliverance as well as acceptance.
Isaiah declares that "Israel shall be delivered (nosha) in the Lord, an eternal salvation (teshuat)."
Moses, in his very last words, proclaims "O happy Israel! Who is like you, a people delivered (nosha) in the Lord."
Not until the crowning moment of Exodus, as God forged his eternal bond with the Jewish people, is the cognate word for deliverance, yeshua, used again (Exodus 14:13).
A better reading for "hevel" would be vapor or mist. What is important about the life of Abel/Hevel is not its futility, but its transience. It was as fleeting as a puff of air, yet his life was significant and full of meaning and was distinguished by God's acceptance.
"Fleeting transience!" Ecclesiastes says, "all is fleeting!"
He seeks to comfort his listeners with man's own mortality -- the underlying premise of any inquiry into the meaning of life in this world.
Rabbi Clifford E. Librach leads the United Jewish Center in Danbury.
Rev. Leo McIlrath
FORUM ON FAITH
by Rev. leo McIlrath
Published: Friday, October 9, 2008
Danbury News Times
Well, maybe he didn't use the "Hey" word. But it got your attention, just as it would have gotten Jesus' attention in that situation.
But the rest of the quotation seems quite accurate, as was Jesus' response: "Who is my mother and brothers and sisters?"
In these lines, I do not believe Jesus is denying his blood relationship to biological family members. He is not disowning Mary and Joseph, James and John and the rest. Nor is he disinheriting himself from Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Joseph, Moses, King David and Solomon, the prophets and the entire line of Jesse.
He's merely making the point that "those who do the will of my Father in heaven; that's who is my father and mother and brothers and sisters." And, of course, all the aforementioned have done just that!
But isn't it true that Jesus also came for the strangers among us; those whom we sometimes, callously, refer to as "aliens," "outsiders," "strangers" and "illegals?"
Are these not also his family -- immigrants to his (and our) faith community?
Are these not my and your brothers and sisters?
While developing these thoughts, my mind was caught up in the coming interfaith Thanksgiving service, scheduled for Nov. 24, the Monday preceding Thanksgiving Day.
This service's central theme will be "Building Bridges." It will feature leaders and laity from a number of local faith communities, such as Protestant, Catholic and Orthodox Christians, Jews, Muslims, Buddhists, Hindus, Jains, Bahais and Unitarian Universalists.
Once again, I ask, as I think Jesus would ask: "Are these not my (and your) brothers and sisters?" And what would be your final answer?
Perhaps a visit to the United Methodist Church of Danbury, to celebrate a truly Thanksgiving service, would help each of us to expand the unique faiths and creeds we already profess and to experience all "separated brothers and sisters" fully, as members of our own particular family.
Think of it! Including rather than excluding members of God's family. Think of it! Supporting rather than undermining the growth of fellow human beings. Think of it! Building bridges instead of fences.
Think of it! Putting an end to hatred, negligence, gossip, slander, detraction, greed, baseless pride, arrogance, self-centeredness, despair, dehumanization.
If we can think it, then we can do it. We would be able to sing with all of humankind, "what a wonderful world this would be!"
Another of my favorite songs, one that I am so pleased to share with the residents of our long-term care facility, is Paul Simon's "Bridge Over Troubled Water." I enjoy reflecting on this song with our residents, as well as the participants of an adult day center and two assisted living facilities where I facilitate Bible studies and spirituality sessions each week.
These close friends have grounded my thinking and being in this deeper sense of family.
Think about the words that follow and how they identify with the one whom I consider the finest bridge builder of all time, Jesus, the Christ, the Son of God.
"When you're weary, feeling small, when tears are in your eyes, I will dry them all. I'm on your side when times get rough and friends just can't be found, like a bridge over troubled water, I will lay me down. Like a bridge over troubled water, I will lay me down. When you're down and out, when you're on the street, when evening falls so hard, I will comfort you. I'll take your part. When darkness comes and pain is all around, like a bridge over troubled water, I will lay me down."
I believe Jesus bridged the gap between heaven and earth, bringing hope from God and breathing it into people; bringing commitments from men and women and placing it on the lap of God; and crossing a bridge in each direction that spans a chasm filled with violent waters.
He is the one who sends his ruach (spirit) upon those waters and orders them to be still and quiet and to stop causing fear in the hearts of God's people; to refrain from impeding the "little children" of any nation and culture, race and creed, from coming to God.
That same Jesus calls us to embrace all of our sisters and brothers.
The Rev. Leo McIlrath is an ecumenical chaplain at the Lutheran Home of Southbury.
FORUM ON FAITH
by Bishop Joseph Summerhays
Published: Friday, October 2, 2008
Danbury News Times
Though I serve as lay clergy in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, this was not a religious mission, but a secular goodwill visit and a professional opportunity.
My day job is in the commercial art industry. Yet the gravity of what I experienced in Rwanda bent new light around my assessment of our faith's sacred text far more than it improved my professional prospects.
For perspective, the closest analogy to Rwanda in my lifetime is Sept. 11. While it was not a genocide, the victims of the World Trade center collapse were within one or two degrees of separation from myself and hundreds of thousands of other lives. It seemed everyone knew somebody who had lost someone in that tragedy.
In Rwanda, 14 years after almost a million people died during 100 days of genocidal slaughter, there are no degrees of separation. Our shuttle driver told of losing his four oldest brothers. Another guide lost a father and a brother. Another told horrific stories of dismemberment and infanticide.
Each story was in the first person. Each story was as unimaginable as the last. Each story was about the loss of a close member of the family to unthinkable violence.
I have always found the Book of Mormon to be a hopeful book, filled with prophetic teachings about our Lord. Our accent has always been on the grace of God in the Book of Mormon, on the valiant characters who overcome evil, and on the messages of redemption and deliverance.
However, since my encounter with real people who've experienced genocide, the final pages of the text bear down on my being with a sobering sense of tragedy.
In the Book of Mormon, narrative accounts of rape, murder, torture and desecration of the dead fill the final pages, as a self-righteous civilization fights for, and gasps, its last breath.
For Mormons, these pages are intended to be read as warnings for our day -- as "a voice whispering from the dust," to use Isaiah's phrase. In Rwanda, these whisperings became shouts as I heard the exact same atrocities related to me in the first person.
I have not been able to shake the haunting images of genocide from Rwanda as I continue to read verbatim accounts from our sacred text.
The last writer in the Book of Mormon, a lone survivor of genocide, pleads with this palliative: "deny not the gifts of God, for they are many " and there are different ways that these gifts are administered "to one it is given that he may teach "to another" the word of knowledge "to another, exceedingly great faith" to another, gifts of healing "to another" miracles "to another, speaking in tongues" ( Moroni 10: 8-18).
His dying words are that our spiritual differences are God-given, and our ability to live with each other depends on our embracing this.
At home in my Danbury congregation, Russian, Indian, Chinese, Jewish, African-American, Ghanaian, Puerto Rican, Jamaican, European, Filipino, Asian, Hispanic, Portuguese, and former atheists sit next to each other on Sunday.
We are a tribe of tribes, just like America. This mix seems ripe for conflict and misunderstanding. And misunderstanding happens. Yet, I am amazed at how intent they are to accept each other's differences. I am amazed by their spiritual gifts. I am amazed at their consecrated service.
I hope my amazement and gratitude endures. It takes work. I'm astonished by work of Rwandans in this regard today: thriving, building, accepting, forgiving and racing forward in faith, as they put their genocide behind them.
I can imagine the lone final author of the Book of Mormon seeing a glimpse of Rwanda today, and shouting, "Yes! Like that."
Bishop Joseph Summerhays is a lay clergyman at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Newtown.
FORUM ON FAITH
Take your faith seriously, but don't forget to laugh.
by Rev. Rob Ross
Published: Friday, July 26, 2008
Danbury News Times
I find that I take my faith very seriously, but many times we've found that a good laugh can work miracles.
For example, while serving a church in the San Francisco Bay area, I was invited to speak at a local service club.
"What should I speak about?" I asked the chair of the speaker's committee.
"Anything you want" he replied.
Without even thinking I blurted out, "what about holy humor?" I had just had a religious joke of mine published in a hardcover book and that was the book's title.
"Sounds great," the speaker coordinator replied. "I can't wait to hear it."
When I arrived, I told the audience that there was a genesis church joke - not Genesis from the Bible, but a joke that came first. It goes something like this:
A police cruiser drives past Old Pete who is sitting on his porch. "Hey Pete," the officer shouts, "get in the cruiser, the dam is about to break!" Pete shrugs and says "I'm not worried, God will protect me."
A few hours later the water is up to Pete's first floor and a police boat comes by and the policewoman shouts "Hey, Peter, the dam has broke, get in the boat, the water is rising." But Pete shrugs and says "I'm not worried, God will protect me."
That night, the flood water has almost covered all of Pete's house and Pete is teetering on top of his chimney. A helicopter comes by and through a loudspeaker the pilot shouts "Grab the rope, the water's rising!" But once again Peter shrugs and shouts "I'm not worried, God will protect me."
As expected, the water rises even higher, Old Pete drowns, and when he gets to heaven he angrily turns to God and says "Hey, God, I put my faith in you and look what happened, you didn't save me." God looked down at Pete and said, "well, I sent you a police car, a boat and a helicopter."
The best "holy humor" is a joke that makes you laugh and think at the same time. You are always hoping for a "ha, ha, hmmm." This humble joke reminds us of how God acts in our lives in ways that we may not expect. Old Pete just couldn't see that God's hands were the hands of the rescuers.
The service club members seemed to enjoy that first joke, so I continued. Joke after joke reminded them that God does have a sense of humor. In the Hebrew Bible God tells Sarah, who is very old, that she and her husband, Abraham, are going to have a baby. Sarah laughs heartily, convinced that God is kidding.
So with all this encouragement, I decided to tell them the original joke I wrote for the book. It goes something like this:
A new seminarian arrives a day early and goes to the student center. There on the activity board is a simple reference to what seems like a Bible passage. The simple sign reads "Job 7:11."
He raced home to look up the passage to see if this was some kind of secret message being sent by another seminarian. His worst fears were realized when he opened the Bible to the book of Job, Chapter 7, Verse 11. It read:
"Therefore I will not keep silent; I will speak out in the anguish of my spirit, I will complain in the bitterness of my soul."
"The bitterness of my soul? This must be a cry for help." He raced over to the chaplain's house to tell him of his revelation. The chaplain laughed and said, "that is the jobs bulletin board; there is a job at the 7-11!"
So my prayer for you this summer is that you take your faith very seriously, but don't forget that even God loves to laugh, and so should you!
The Rev. Rob Ross is the chaplain at Wooster School in Danbury.
Rev. Karen Judd
FORUM ON FAITH
Camp teaches kids about world faiths.
by Karen Judd
Published: Friday, July 16, 2008
Danbury News Times
"It's interesting to learn about how the Native Americans used these plants to cure people when they got sick," said Nina Ongaro of Brookfield, one of 23 students participating in the Interfaith Peace Camp this week.
The camp was founded four years ago to foster an understanding of world religions, spirituality and cultural practices. The topic Wednesday was "What Peace Means in Native American Spirituality."
The speaker was Barrie Kavasch, a renown expert on Native American healing arts, culinary practices, and spirituality. She had the children form a medicine wheel, an ancient Native American spiritual practice.
They lay on the ground in a circle to feel the connection between themselves and the Earth and to experience the energy that connects all people.
As Kavasch put it, they will realize "we are all mirrors of each other, and we reflect everyone else in the world."
"The children can easily connect with nature if they lay down and experience all of their senses," she said. "In learning about nature, the children also learn about their own nature. They come into a deeper connection with who they are, and how to express themselves through their sense of artistry and compassion."
Later the campers explored the park grounds and collected various plant samples, which they catalogued in a journal.
The camp was envisioned five years ago by the Rev. Phyllis J. Leopold, executive director of the Association of Religious Communities, who had previously developed Bridge Building, a multi-cultural outreach program for the Greater Bridgeport Council of Churches.
She proposed the camp to ARC's board of directors in December 2003 and it was piloted in summer 2004 with 16 campers, ages 9 to 12, and four high school students who served as peer leaders.
This year there are 23 campers, five peer leaders, one assistant director and one director. Besides teaching youngsters about major world faiths, the IPC gives high school and college-age students experience as community leaders.
Every day this week, the campers will meet at a "sacred site," where a volunteer speaker and craft coordinator will address the meaning of peace in that tradition.
Nina Ongaro said she enjoyed their Tuesday visit to the Middle Way Meditation Center in Danbury.
"We learned how to meditate and how to sit like this," she said, proceeding to demonstrate the lotus position.
On Monday, the campers went to the Islamic Society of Western Connecticut in Danbury. Today, they will be at St. Stephen's Episcopal Church in Ridgefield, and Friday they will visit Congregation B'Nai Israel in Danbury.
"We hope that the kids will walk away with a better understanding of world faiths and be able to incorporate that into their own sense of self," camp director Karen Judd said.
Karen Judd
FORUM ON FAITH
Recalls tough lesson, developing faith in childhoods.
by Betty Judd Johnson
Published: Friday, July 9, 2008
Danbury News Times
Childhood.
What a kaleidoscopic wave of happy memories that word evokes.
To be sure, there were some mischievous activities when I deserved and received a stern reprimand, but I have a dim remembrance of them.
There was the day when I was about 5 that I decided to run a little roadside stand.
In all innocence, while mother was down cellar doing laundry, I helped myself to a quantity of the basket of peaches, which she intended to can after she finished the laundry.
I busied myself with cutting them up and stuffing them into some clean peanut butter jars.
I had set myself up in business alongside Tulip Street before being discovered.
I had no customers, but I did have a stern lecture on wasting good food.
And there are memories of my developing faith.
I suppose that as soon as I could form words as a child I was led, by my parents, to pray each night at bedtime, "Now I lay me down to sleep," and gradually I added all the "God blesses" that children find so necessary once they discover it prolongs bedtime.
When I was about 4, however, something wonderful happened.
Dad and Mother took me and my young brother Chet to the evening service at the Methodist Campgrounds in Plainville.
The circle of campground cottages all faced the large, screened-in worship area and I remember how thrilled I was to be up past my usual bedtime.
I have vivid recollection of sitting on a bench, beside Chet, between our parents.
In my mind's eye I can still see my brother's chubby legs swinging as he grew fidgety.
I can't tell you the name of the preacher who spoke that evening or what his exact words were, but he must have been an exceptionally charismatic speaker.
From that time on I knew that I had a heavenly Father who loved me and was always ready to help and protect me.
That assurance has stayed with me during my lifetime and has sustained me through many difficult times.
Betty Judd Johnson.
