[yshavurah] Meditation or Prayer Before Going to Vote
- From: "Cheryl Levine" <clevineys@xxxxxxxxxx>
- To: "Havurah Listserv" <yshavurah@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Mon, 1 Nov 2004 13:21:16 -0500
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Meditation or Prayer Before Going to Vote
October 31, 2004
MEDITATION OR PRAYER BEFORE AS YOU PREPARE TO GO TO VOTE=20
Thank You, the Power of Healing and Transformation in the =
Universe, that Your energy has moved through human beings in the past =
and inspired them to create democratic institutions that would give me =
and others this wonderful opportunity to participate in shaping our =
world. I know that the outcome of this election will have consequences =
for all six billion people on the planet, and that if democratic norms =
were to be fully estabished that they too would be able to participate =
in shaping the decisions about how the world's resources should best be =
used. So I hereby take it upon myself to vote in a way that is sensitive =
to the needs of the all the people of the planet, not just to those who =
are blessed to live in the richest and most powerful society. I =
recognize and affirm the unity of all being, and the interconnectedness =
and mutual interdependence of all people with each other and with the =
well-being of the planet itself.=20
As I approach this holy act, I recommit myself to the message =
revealed to the prophets and sages of old: that our highest task on =
earth is to bring more love and kindness, generosity and sanctity into =
the world, and that to do so we must vigorously pursue a world of =
justice and peace and avoid violence and hurting others directly or =
indirectly. May my votes actually contribute to these results.=20
Please give strength to those for whom I vote. If they are =
elected, let them actually contribute to achieving a world of greater =
peace, justice and love. If they are not elected, let my vote be one of =
the factors that contributes to empowering them to play a positive role =
in continuing the struggle for peace, justice and love, so that they =
represent my intentions and so that they do not personally fall back =
into despair or into personal opportunism and forget that they have the =
task of vigorously articulating the aspirations of those who were =
seeking through voting for them to bring more caring and more generosity =
into the world.=20
Give me the wisdom to understand those who do not vote in the way =
that I do. I already know that most people on this planet share with me =
the desire for a world of peace, justice, loving-kindness and caring. So =
it is hard for me to understand why they don't support the candidates =
who seem to represent those values. Please give me the wisdom to =
understand the complex psychological, social and political factors that =
could take fundamentally decent human beings and lead them into paths =
that may, I believe, lead to a world exactly the opposite of what they =
really want. And let that understanding empower me to be more =
compassionate in the way that I think and talk about those with whom I =
disagree, and more intelligent in finding ways to reach them, speak to =
their goodness, and bring them through my love and compassion for them =
to be able to see a better path to achieve the goals that they share =
with me. From this point forward, I commit myself to seeing the good in =
all others, and to finding the decency and generosity in those who =
disagree with me, and to keep that in front of my consciousness even as =
I continue to disagree with the paths that they have chosen--and let =
that understanding give me even greater energy to fight for the causes =
of social justice and peace. Meanwhile, let me also have compassion for =
the leaders of movements and candidates for office whom I do =
support--let me not judge them for their personal failings, for the ways =
that they are not n their PRIVATE LIVES the fullest possible embodiments =
of the ideals that they articulate. Yet let me simultaneously have the =
energy and commitment to hold them accountable in their PUBLIC ACTS to =
fighting even harder for social justice and peace and ecological sanity. =
I know that my vote is only one little part of the whole, and =
nevertheless I will not belittle what I am doing today in going to vote. =
But neither will I use this vote as a way of excusing myself from having =
to do more. I commit myself to putting more of my time and more of my =
energy and more of my money into activities explicitly aimed at tikkun =
olam, the healing and transformation of our planet. =
__________________________=20
Please let me be witness to a dramatic surge of the world's =
energies toward love, justice, peace, nonviolence, spiritual awakening, =
and ecological sanity--quickly and in my lifetime, and let it be so. =
Amen. Shalom. Salaam.=20
Let there be peace on earth, and let it begin with us!=20
Rabbi Michael Lerner=20
Tikkun Community=20
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