Look at us
Standing at Sinai
Gathered together at the foot of a mountain to meet God.
Seriously?
It’s too much to take in
Too big to describe
Like this mountain.
Maybe it’s just a useful metaphor:
A mountain of the needy and the suffering
that we ignore every day?
Or a mountain of guilt, a mountain of debt?
Or maybe it’s all of the knowledge we’ve yet to learn?
Or a mountain of fear,
a mountain of the unknown,
a mountain of uncertainty and procrastination and failure.
A mountain to roll a stone up, a mountain of opposition,
Oy vey iz mere.
God is in the Law, in the right and the wrong of our choices,
This mountain is huge!
Or maybe it’s just a regular old mountain,
A very large pile of dirt and vegetation,
merely geology.
With trails to climb and
Rocks to stand on to take in the view.
Animals and bugs living in hidden places
Forming their own perfect worlds with no reference to us whatsoever,
As long as we leave them alone.
Maybe this mountain is our earth, our world,
To cherish and take care of or
To abuse and ignore.
God is everywhere in nature and
We are only one small speck on the mountain.
Maybe this mountain is Mount Sinai
And we are waiting for revelation
Because God, the actual God of Torah and Talmud and Tikkun Olam
Is getting ready to show God’s self to us.
Maybe all the truth and love in the world is actually making itself available to us,
We who have done nothing but cry and complain.
Poor hungry, scared us!
And this is more special and holy than we can take in.
So we look away and cover our ears
And God is in the marvelous silence.
So let us step up to the metaphors!
Step up to the dirt and the mysteries!
We are standing at Sinai
And it is all for us
However we experience it.
Baruch Atah Adonai, Ruach Ha Olam
Blessed One-ness, Breath of the Universe
We are humble in your presence
However you manifest.
And let us say,
Amen.
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