Issue: 2.09 | September 16, 2001 | by:
Melissa Penn
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A Very Special Letter Michael, I can only imagine what hate has unleashed your way. Because you are a
vehicle for light, for enlightenment, you become a target for the Darkness. Do
not despair. Perhaps these two "teaching poems" may help you and others. I have
worked with these two as a spiritual practice for the past 20 years - we are
indeed "the twelve-year-old girl, refugee on a small boat, who throws herself
into the ocean after being raped by a sea pirate. And I (when I am telling the
truth) am the pirate (with each homeless person I walk by, with each sweat-shop
piece of clothing I wear, with each unkind thought I think) ... my heart not yet
capable of seeing and loving." Now, as our Day of Repentance comes, we must remember that, in certain
situations, we are each "hearts not yet capable of seeing and loving." We must
all "own" this injustice, for in injustice lay its seeds of hate. Someone asked at shul last night, "What can I do when my faith is
shattered?" I replied - We are here to be instruments of the light. We are here to pick up the
shards, and we have this task until we, as collective humanity, remember who we
are. We are Love, and only Love will heal this great human illness and bring us
the collective power of being YHVH's true reflection. Then I sing, for when I sing my prayers move through me, move my emotions
through sadness, through rage, into loving action. Music works through me and
its vibrations remind me that I am not powerless, I am a singer and no one can
steal my song until I am dead, and perhaps not even then. We must engage our light! We must. I will not give into fear. I will not
acknowledge that these misguided souls who have closed hearts have power over my
faith. I will not. I will use the strength of my practice, my community, the strength of the
Torah, and the strength of my faith to affirm that there ARE ways to peace, to
live in joyous abundance. And until my last breath in this wild, wonderful thing
called my life, I will DEMAND that this is so. I simply insist that those whose hearts "are not yet opened" come to my
table, eat of my food, and stare into my eyes until they remember who they are." |
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Melissa is a member of the Megillah family |
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