Sermons

A Liberal Faith in a Post 9/11 World

Rabbi Howard A. Berman
Boston Jewish Spirit
Rosh Hashanah Morning 5772
September 29, 2011

We come together this morning, at this threshold of a New Year, with hearts and minds filled with so many deep emotions, impressions and concerns ... Even at the most usual and routine of times, the High Holy Days are an intense period for all of us. And yet, as we observed last night, this year, the Holy Days have taken on yet another, even deeper dimension - one which intensifies this season's already complex emotions and moods. For us, as American Jews, these ancient observances will, from now on, forever be linked in our consciousness to the terrible and tragic memory of September 11.

I doubt if any of us will ever forget the High Holy days of 2001, beginning with Rosh Hashanah on September 18 - just a short, traumatic week after the attacks - and their major place in our personal experience of America's national tragedy. What a blessing it was for the Jewish community to have had, at that very moment, a context and a setting for communal gathering and reflection.  How deeply powerful and poignantly relevant were this season's eternal message of renewal and healing, memory and hope, at that critical time, a decade ago.

And now, as we commemorate this 10th anniversary – such close proximity to this sacred week, we are all the more conscious that the observance of Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur, will always, from now on, forever encompass this annual Yahrzeit. This confluence of calendar dates compels us once again to focus our thoughts and prayers on this transforming event. Ten years ago, we shared our common struggle and need for healing and hope in the immediate wake of the disaster. This year, as we commemorate this milestone anniversary, there is a possibility for broader spiritual reflection as we seek to link the timeless themes of the Holy Days to the evolving meaning of this tragedy – which remains both a transforming epoch in our nation’s history even as it is seared into our own personal and collective consciousness.  And in the midst of the flood of political analysis and historical commentary that have inevitably been inspired by this anniversary, we may well ask: what unique perspective can we reflect on, here and now ... as Jews - as people of faith - in light of the continuing crisis facing our nation and our world?

Now what is so remarkable about a spiritual analysis of the meaning of September 11, is that this particular perspective takes us to the very heart and core of the major issues at the very epicenter of those events. Any inquiry into the nature of the attacks on America, and the entire subsequent history of the world and of our own nation over the course of the past ten years, inevitably brings us to a focus on religion. These events certainly encompass a variety of complex factors -  international geopolitics, global social and economic forces, military and diplomatic strategy, and national security policy. But at the very center of the question of 9/11, and indeed of virtually all of the political and social conflicts in the world today, is the issue of religion! It is truly amazing that in this supposedly post-secular, scientific, hi-tech 21st century, that religion is the underlying force and dynamic, determining today's major world events.. no less than during the Crusades a thousand years ago.

Now we are speaking, of course, of the enormous and ever-deepening chasm and conflict between the two major views of truth and reality in global society today:
On one hand – religious orthodoxy and fundamentalism - linked to ideological extremism and political authoritarianism ... belief systems firmly rooted in traditionalist precepts and values, that, in their zealous advocacy of their own conceptions of truth, permit no dissent and tolerate no diversity ...
And then on the other hand, there is the culture of progressive religious and social liberalism - steeped in democratic values, and embracing modernity, pluralism and individual freedom ...

Now the most visible and dramatic manifestation of this conflict, certainly centers on the forces that led to the September 11 th attacks and their aftermath: the struggle between radical Islamic fundamentalism, and the liberal, humanistic values of the Judeo-Christian West.
And yet the cosmic battle between the forces of fundamentalism and liberalism, encompass the entire world: every nation and every religion. It is a dichotomy that pervades virtually every political, social and cultural conflict of our time. Each of the intractable enmities that dominate the headlines, in every comer of the globe, are essentially variations on this theme. While we might perceive militant Islamic extremists as the most notorious religious fanatics  in the world today, they have their counterparts everywhere, and in every religious community. We might tend to associate this mindset with radical Islam in the Middle East - the Taliban and Al Qaeda; the clerical rulers of Iran; and the terrorist forces of Hamas in Palestine and Lebanon.

And yet- an objective analysis, points to a common thread with all forms of religious extremism. Indeed we must admit that this includes those very same forces within the Jewish community and in Israeli society as well- so polarized by the right-wing fanaticism of ultra-Orthodox groups and militant West Bank settlers . And while the convergence of conflicting history and aspirations clash in this most volatile region of hostility, this cosmic war is by no means confined to the Middle East. It is, again, at the core of all the conflicts tearing our world apart today: recurring bloody riots between Hindus and Muslims in India and Pakistan - the endless enmity between Catholics and Protestants in Northern Ireland - the still smoldering memory of the genocide between Christians and Muslims in Serbia and Bosnia twenty years ago - and now, those very same confrontations in Iraq and Egypt… and on ... and on ...

And lest we sit in smug, self-righteous judgment at all those primitive passions raging across the seas, let us remember that this struggle also extends right here in our own midst. It is the entire basis of the cultural and political battles that have polarized American society for much of our nation's history - from the days of the repressive Puritanism of colonial New England- to the Civil war, and it's continuing legacy of racism and regional prejudices - continuing through the rise, in our own time, of the Christian right as a major force in American religion and politics. Every cultural and political battle in contemporary American society - over women's reproductive choice, gay rights, immigration law, media censorship and public educational policy, are all further reflections of this global tension. Our home-grown American religious fundamentalists, right wing extremists, and racial supremacists - both black and white - are no less zealous than their ideological soul mates in Kabul or Teheran, Baghdad or Tripoli, Gaza or Jerusalem. They share the same distrust of modernity, the same rejection of liberal democratic values. The more dramatic violence here in America, may be confined to the most extreme fringes. Nevertheless, the soaring rate of hate crimes in our society, including destructive violence against mosques as well as and churches; personal attacks against African Americans, immigrants, and gay, lesbian, and transgender people; assassinations at Planned Parenthood clinics all differ only in scope and scale, but not at all in purpose or intent, from the most sensationalist and catastrophic terrorist attacks or acts of genocide.

We also know that the global fundamentalist/liberal struggle is not only being acted out in the geopolitical and cultural spheres; it is also the major issue within every religious community today. We see it in the ever- deepening rift, and the struggle for power, between conservative and progressive forces, that have split and polarized every Protestant denomination in America – and particularly so in the Episcopal Church. In the Roman Catholic Church, the conflict is even more dramatic. It is reflected most painfully in the dynamics underlying the clergy abuse scandal that is rocking the church world wide to its very foundations. In this case, the battle is pitting the traditionalist, authoritarian structure of the Vatican and Church hierarchy, against the growing popular movement for lay empowerment and institutional reform. And of course, even closer to home, within Judaism itself: we are all too aware of the dramatic rise of an ever more rigid Orthodoxy - and the unbridgeable polarization between insular traditionalists and those other faithful, committed Jews – not only us in the Reform and Conservative movements, but even other Orthodox groups that differ in their interpretation or practice of the tradition. The stark and steady decline of cooperation, discourse, and even basic civility in Jewish communal life today, is a sad reflection - in the post- Holocaust world - of this pervasive reality.
 
And so - faced with these daunting and indeed frightening challenges, how can we as Reform Jews respond? How can we, as rational, broad-minded, peace-loving people of liberal faith, members of a congregation whose mission proclaims a broad, progressive, inclusive spiritual commitment, confront this struggle constructively and courageously?

Now, before I proceed, I should clarify one critical point. Hopefully, all of us here at Boston Jewish Spirit do share a common liberal Jewish religious commitment. However, this does not necessarily mean that we are all members of a particular political party, or that we all necessarily subscribe to specific positions of economic or public policy. One can be a religious and social progressive, and still strongly endorse fiscal restraint or differing views on the role of government. We also recognize that the danger of rigid ideological extremism can affect both sides of the spectrum…left as well as right. Hopefully, whatever our partisan allegiances, we all share the broad, embracing vision of a just and equitable society, clearly and unambiguously mandated by our Prophetic Jewish tradition.
I would suggest that first of all, we need to re-examine our own authenticity as religious liberals. If our voice and position are to have any strength of conviction, any moral or intellectual integrity whatsoever, we must admit that our own commitments to our values and beliefs are nowhere near as deep and clear as those of the fundamentalists. In a sense, this is an inherent dilemma for all liberal religion - we reject monolithic authoritarian creeds and doctrines ... we cherish critical inquiry and personal freedom in the formulation of our faith ... inevitably we have more questions than answers.

And yet, if we are to hold our own in the global religious debate, let alone survive and prevail, we need to be as clear in our vision, and as deep in our commitment as the most passionate right wing fanatic. They know what they believe and what they must do ... do we? Do we bring the same energy and activism to our spiritual lives and political commitments that the religious conservatives seem to be able to harness? We must confess at this sacred  time of repentance, that we all too often fail in this test. We often smugly dismiss their passion as the mindless ravings of ignorant fanatics and bigots - we complacently trust that reason will somehow prevail ... but we are not always prepared to put our money - or our energy - or our time - where our mouth is. They are! And they do! And that is why the Religious Right is so influential in America and throughout the world today ... and that is why ten years ago, a rag-tag band of outlaws in the caves of Afghanistan, were able to mastermind the destruction of the most visible symbols of America as a world power ... and why today, an equally rag-tag group of extremist malcontents has been able to hijack the American political system.
Friends, the critical question for us as Reform Jews, and for all progressive people of faith, is not the mandate that guides the terrorists and suicide bombers:

"Are you willing to die for your faith?"
but rather, we are confronted by an equally demanding challenge:

"Are we willing to live for our faith?"

Are we willing to take our spiritual commitment seriously enough, to ground it in knowledge and understanding?  Are ready to express our commitment here together in our liberal religious congregations, with the same fervor that empowers the crowds at radical mosques or Evangelical mega-churches? Are we willing to make our voice heard, and to struggle - and if need be, sacrifice - for truth as we understand it? Not through violence, or the abuse of the democratic political process, but with civility, tolerance and through the integrity and depth of our spiritual values and our civic consciousness.

And as we confront this challenge, in the midst of all the hostility and polarization that surrounds us, we also need to reach out to, support and cooperate with, all those of every progressive religious voice around the world that shares our broad, inclusive vision of faith and action. All liberal Christians and moderate Muslims - all believers - of every spiritual path - who share our passion for freedom and justice, tolerance, pluralism and peace. We need to honestly - once and for all- have the courage to face the reality that we have a greater spiritual kinship with them, than we do with the Orthodox extremists in our own Jewish community ... and we should build our alliances and nurture our ties accordingly! As American Reform Jews, we must also especially work to support the progressive religious voices within Israeli society. And we must also work toward greater dialogue with our Muslim neighbors here in the United States, and help to nurture the emergence of a modern, moderate, American expression of Islam- just as our liberal Jewish tradition has flourished in the free, open society of the United States over the past two centuries.

Ultimately, a forthright confrontation with each of these imperatives is our only hope - and surely the most critical and enduring spiritual lesson we must learn from the memory of September 11th…

Friends… all of these challenges - and all of these possibilities – are powerfully expressed in the words of my favorite passage from our Union Prayer Book. The historic liturgy of Classical Reform Judaism so beautifully expresses the broad, liberal spiritual ideals we cherish - and the vision we aspire to. At this sad anniversary moment, that is at the same time the dawn of a New Year of promise and hope, may this spirit be our guide and inspiration ... as we seek to strengthen our faith ... heal our beloved nation ... and indeed, bring peace, reconciliation and renewal to our troubled world:

Almighty and merciful God, you have called us to your service and found us worthy to bear witness to your truth among the people of the earth. Give us grace to fulfill this mission with enthusiasm and joy - tempered by wisdom - and guided by respect for other people's faith and ideals. May our lives prove the strength of our own belief in the truths we proclaim. May our conduct toward our neighbors - our faithfulness in every sphere of duty - our compassion for those in need - and our patience under trial- show that the one who's law we obey is indeed the God of all goodness - the Loving Creator of all people - that to serve You, is perfect freedom - and to worship You, the soul's purest happiness.
          

Open our eyes, that we may see and welcome all truth - whether shining through the wisdom of ancient revelations, or reaching us though the Prophets of our own time … for You, God of love, of justice and of peace, continue to shed Your light on every generation that yearns for You and seeks Your guidance.

Amen.