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 -
"You physically must go to where you can go look into the eyes of people you DO trust, and touch them - for we are mammals and need touch. You must stare into their eyes and they into yours - sharing souls - until you remember who you are, and why you are here, in this body, on this planet.

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."
Amen.
Melissa