Rabbi Ronald Gerson: A religious reflection on a special birthday
Recently, I celebrated a special birthday; yes, Rabbi Gerson turned 75! I can recall, as a youth, when my grandfather of blessed memory reached that age. I remember the party we had for him in my native San Diego - he appeared to me as the ancient patriarch of our family. Can that be me now? I guess you will just have to ask my family.
At any rate, at 75, I am, like many of my readers, a bonafide "baby boomer" - according to the demographers, those post-World War II babies born between 1946 and 1964. We have been analyzed, characterized, scrutinized and classified by writers ad infinitum over the years. But, for me, it is far more interesting - and spiritual - to look at the swath of history that has occurred during my lifetime as a "boomer."
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In Judaism, we believe that God has a hand in history. Under His providence, in the long run, events are not random, but, instead, history moves forward with overall progress and purpose.
Each year, at Passover, we celebrate this. We acknowledge, that while our People unfortunately languished in Egyptian bondage for 430 years, God had a larger task of betterment: to bring our People eventually to their own national life in the Land of Israel. As God told Moses at the burning bush: "I will bring you all up out of this land unto a good land, flowing with milk and honey" (Exodus 3:8).
When I look at my lifetime - the history - so far: On the surface, it appears that the opposite is true. That, instead of progress under God, stark regression has occurred.
As a child of the 1950s, the post-War times were not perfect, but basically tranquil. In our "Leave it to Beaver" San Diego neighborhood, it was innocent. As a six-year-old, I walked alone to school. (Can you imagine that happening now?) Times, all over in our nation were peaceful. (Not to minimize, racial tensions and Cold War fears that were there.)
Now, fast forward to today and we see a backward thrust. The nation is so greatly polarized. Politics are very partisan and vicious. News stations have become platforms for this, on both sides. Hate crimes, mass shootings and rabid religious fundamentalism abound. So we wonder, where is God? Where, in the past 75 is the progress under His hand?
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Well, as a spiritual person, I believe that if you look hard - beyond the surface - you will see overall improvement under God's hand. There are two things that come to my mind. In the area of race, you look at our southern region of the country, and what has transpired over the seventy-five years of my lifetime. Black and white people are now educated together, work together, and worship together.
Then, secondly, in the area of health care, so much has been done in my lifetime. New medicines and procedures have dramatically lengthened our life span. We can attest to that.
These two areas certainly represent God's positive role in history.
Yes, as God told Moses, in a difficult time, "I will bring you all up... unto a good land, flowing with milk and honey." In the long run, His positive hand is upon the world. And for this, on my special birthday, I truly give thanks.
This article originally appeared on Athens Banner-Herald: Rabbi Ronald Gerson: A religious reflection on a special birthday
