Day 8 of Elijah Interfaith Summer School
Tuesday 11th August 2020 — Hosted in Jerusalem, participants zoomed-in from around the world
At the start of each day, we attempt to start with a prayer. Often the day is so full that we forget to nominate someone to lead only to remember as we all enter the Temple of Zoom at 14 15 hours (BST) the next day.
Peta, Elijah’s educational director, always ready, led us in a meditation. She spoke of Abraham holding together opposites. The opposites being knowing that God had said he would be the father of a nation and God asking him to sacrifice his son Isaac. I live in a state of opposites so the meditation was apt for me. I remember while visiting universities with Tee I heard an astrophysics lecturer say the earth is because of opposites.
Michael L. Kagan was the first guest teacher of the day. He has been described as a teacher of Holistic Judaism and author of the Holistic Haggadah (Urim) and editor of All Breathing Life — At the Interface Between Poetry and Prayer (Gaon Books). His teachings are featured in the film Seasons of the Soul (Throughline Productions).
He made the distinction between an environmentalist and an ecologist. An environmentalist is one who has a lifestyle concerned about the impact of how they live on the environment. An ecologist is one who has the knowledge of the home (the planet being the home).
If I were, to sum up, what I gleamed (for I have little time) it is that we as humans are the brains of the earth. See the earth as a body and it may help you ‘get my drift’. Visually it integrates me with the planet dissolving any separateness that I may have held.
Michael shared with us a poem he believed was given to him by God which speaks to the moment,
Children of Adamah
My Creation cries out to Me.
It is in pain, and the pain is hurting Me.
It bleeds. It is like a festering wound in Me.
The cry of the Adamah* has reached my ears.
The cry –
of the plants,
of the insects,
of the hunted species,
of the forests,
of the plains,
of the seas,
of the air.
I hear their cry
Know this, Children of Adamah,
that you stand accused.
What have you done?
The cry –
of the starving,
of the maimed,
of the abused,
of the enslaved,
of the poor,
of the helpless,
of the children,
of the lonely,
of the poisoned,
of the sick,
of the exploited.
Oy! What have you done?
My precious Garden has been raped.
The rivers have been diverted,
the orchards ploughed over,
the mountains dug through.
Oh Children of Adamah,
do you think that this is what I intended?
Do you think this brings me pleasure?
The smell of burning trees…
the smell of burning flesh.
Do you not know how close these are to me?
And yet you dare to offer them like sacrifices!
How can you offer what is not yours?
A stolen sacrifice is not acceptable.
Do you think I do not know?
Do you think I do not hear?
Do you think I do not feel?
Children of Adamah!
I have given you so much knowledge about My Ways.
The claim of ignorance is unacceptable.
How many prophets will it take?
How many writings?
How many sages?
How many books?
How many martyrs?
How many saints?
How many teachers?
How many preachers?
How many miracles?
How much suffering?
You cannot pretend not to know…
you cannot pretend I never told you.
Children of Adamah, know this:
If you disappear off the face of the planet,
no one will grieve for you.
The birds will sing free,
the forests will grow back.
The seas will be renewed,
the fish will repopulate the seas.
Those creatures that you have enslaved will suffer,
but that is the way of the enslaved.
No one, no thing, will grieve your passing.
Do you hear that, O false kings and queens?
But I will cry.
You are my partners,
I love you.
If you fail, I fail,
but the world will live on.
I have invested so much in you.
I have parented you more than any other creature.
You are so frail,
and you have so much potential.
My Spirit is strong in you.
We have challenged each other
and sparred with each other.
But you have forgotten your contract,
you have forgotten your role.
You are my partner,
but I am your God.
Know, Children of Adamah,
that if the earth decides to vomit you out,
I will not protest.
I will not fight back.
But I will grieve for you,
as I grieve for you now.
I will miss you,
as I miss you now.
Only you can stop this expulsion.
You must choose.
Life and death — in your hands.
I cannot interfere anymore,
I can only cry out a warning.
Hear and understand:
your freedom to do harm has never been greater.
And likewise,
your freedom to do good has never been greater.
Choose Life!
You live by “what ifs?”
“What if we stop this? What then?”
“What if there is not enough? What then?”
“What if there is too much? What then?”
“What if we run out? What then?”
“What if I’m too weak? What then?”
“What if I can’t? What then?”
“What if I fail? What then?”
“What if I succeed? What then?”
“What if I’m wrong? What then?”
Enough!
There is enough.
Know that there is enough.
Know that you already know enough.
Know that there is enough, still, of enough.
Know that I am the God of Enough.
I urge you as One who loves you, to Turn.
Turn and face the truth.
Turn and face those that you have hurt.
Turn and look them in the eye.
Turn and look yourself in the eye.
Turn and look Me in the eye.
And see!
Due to time, I will link you to the videos of the teachers we heard.
Sadhvi Bhagawati Saraswati
Sister Jayanti
Rabbi Yuval Cherlow
The last session involved us pairing up and going to a breakout room ( yes zoom provides such a facility albeit that my technology throws me out periodically only for me to re-enter).
This was an opportunity also to speak with one of my fellow participants. If anything we have not had enough time to get to know each other so this provided a welcome opportunity. For example, the guy I was paired assumed I was in Northern Ireland as I assumed he was in the US. It turned out he was in Jerusalem and for him, he was now aware I was in England.
Our tasks were to prepare questions for religious leaders the following day.
Best day,
g
