The cornerstone of my religious practice is to treat each person that I encounter as an image of God. Many people of all faiths—and those with no relationship to religious traditions—approach the world in a similar, if not identical manner. I am Jewish—an experienced, ordained rabbi.
The faith leaders at the National Cathedral just published “Have We No Decency? A Response to President Trump.” This short essay proclaims:
We must boldly stand witness against the bigotry, hatred, intolerance, and xenophobia that is hurled at us…To stay silent in the face of such rhetoric is for us to tacitly condone the violence of these words. We are compelled to take every opportunity to oppose the indecency and dehumanization that is racism, whether it comes to us through words or actions.
In the Babylonian Talmud there is a recounting of ten Jewish sages who were brutally murdered by the Roman government in the second century. These passages are codified in the liturgy of Yom Kippur, known as Eleh Ezkerah, these we remember. Rabbi Akiva, is remembered as teaching the following lesson in the moments surrounding his execution:
All my days I have been troubled by the verse, “You shall love the Lord your God with all of your soul.” I imagined it to mean “even if God takes your soul,” and wondered when I would have the occasion to fulfill the commandment. Now I have the occasion, and I will fulfill it. He then proclaimed the central tenant of Jewish faith, “Hear O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one. He prolonged the last syllable, until he died as he finished pronouncing it.
Akiva, upon his death, recognized the opportunity to proclaim love of God with all of his soul. Indeed, 2000 years later, Jew around the world still seek to express these as their last words on earth. There is a parallel precept that commands that “You shall love the Lord your God with all of your strength.” That passage challenged me, the word “meodekha,” all of your strength, not offering sufficient guidance for the desired practice. Some translations of the text interpret “meodekha” to mean all of your resources. We all have resources, skills we can draw upon to best amplify our beliefs. They are our strengths. Today I draw upon my strengths—a firm grounding in sacred texts and analytical thinking, to remind us that as long as we are alive, in possession of a soul, we cannot be silent about racism.
The indecency and dehumanization that is racism does not belong in our government. In January of 2018, following escalating racist remarks from Donald Trump, CNN host Don Lemon began his show by saying, “This is CNN Tonight, I’m Don Lemon. The president of the United States is racist. A lot of us already knew that.” It is eighteen months later, what are we going to do about it?
The Biblical passage engraved on the Liberty Bell, the symbol of our nation’s values, reads “Proclaim liberty throughout all the land unto all inhabitants thereof.”
All of the inhabitants, Mr. President, not just those who look like you.