Rabbi's Dust

Ever hear the saying, "May the dust of your Rabbi cover you."? It was common and infers that the dust from your master/rabbi/teacher will cover you because you follow him so closely and therefore, you are covered.... you are marked by following him. It was an honor.

How did we get here - where it is about "protecting our rights", demanding and taking back political offices and be prostituted by a political party? When did it infer celebrity status and worship, by the way, instead of servant, sacrifice, humility, dying to one's self that He might live in us?

This photo above will infuriate some people - yea, okay, I'm sort of - okay, I almost enjoy provoking people ...closed minded people. I know it and I do it, and I almost can't not do it. I feel such insatiable, anger at people who are self righteous, who spiritually cloak what they are doing, using Jesus for power, being right, conserving what they think was, really for comfort and security, and abuse people along the way.

I did a wedding in the spring. A lady there was bemoaning the state of things (sound familiar?). She went on to blame the ills of her town on the "niggras"... My eyes popped wide... she knew I was officiating the ceremony! She just really said that to me? You know this word? It combines the "N" word with negro and becomes complexly non-bigoted bigotry...

She then said how it was "liberal yankee trouble makers" who came down here and stirred 'em up, when things were fine. The summary of her thesis was "we all were happy - separate but equal and we ALL wanted it and liked it and why did it have to end." Really!?

Back to the photo... Jesus, servant of servants loved people - all - not just those who followed, not just those who were poor, or the rich; the sacred and the sinner; the deserving and the undeserving... So, isn't this photo accurate? The King of kings serves the leaders of the world from multiple perspectives... We don't like it, because we're allied around worldly powers and authorities, around ideologies which each things is correct.

NYC Mosque... We're all aware of the furor around the Mosque near ground zero. We all know why it is hurtful to the families who lost loved ones. I get it... I wish it wasn't an issue, and wish the Mosque's leadership and the Muslim leadership would be a touch more sensitive, especially sense there are several already nearby. With that said... IF a church were to be built by Christian missionaries in Felujah where so much bitter fighting occurred, or near Mecca in Saudi Arabia??? What would we say if the governments and people there resisted and have such emotional feelings? Would we not tisk and cluck our tongues at this? Yet, we do the same...

Beyond a pluristic republic with some (emphasis on some) democratic notions, just what would Jesus do? Certainly, I'm for every Muslim coming to know and trust Ihsaj (Jesus), who the Koran called the greatest prophet. BUT what would He do? Fight? Be ugly on TV? Can we not see this is also an opportunity to respond with a will and character, a humility and actually acting as we say we believe... freedom and all that, inclusion for all - and all that?

Take a look at my friend's blog. Dan is a gifted thinker and writer... He used this photo and wrote some provoking thinking.

So, all said and done... we out to win an election or be like Jesus? Who we following? Who's dust covers us?