I believe...

It's been while since I have posted. Life has been far busier than usual, especially as I have needed to go into emergency mode with setting up a smooth transition out of leadership and tying up loose ends with one group, and setting up and finding my feet in a new position with another group. I've been burning the candle at both ends, and along with a lot of physical labor and moving heavy furniture and such that I really should not be doing (but there is no one else), I'm beyond exhausted. As I like to say, I passed the exit to Knackered-ville about two weeks ago.

In the background, even when I couldn't physically get to my computer to write, I have been wrestling with a seminary assignment. Wrestling not because I had no answer, but because I needed to whittle it down to as brief as possible.

So take a minute to think about how you might answer: "Briefly describe the basic tenets of your own faith or belief system."

Unless you see the world as very black and white and think you have ALL the answers, this is really quite a challenge. Especially the "briefly" part, for me. I am a wordsmith, and things like NaNoWriMo allow me the luxury of purposefully bloating a word count just to try and have a remnant of usable paragraphs at the end of 50k, because writing, like life, is a process.

This item required me to vent it all out on paper, add more and more and more and get it out there, and then to begin distilling. Distilling. Distilling more. What is the nectar? What is the essence? And this process was, for me, a bit like asking me to measure the ocean or count the grains of sand.

 I have not at all addressed my beliefs about G!d here, as that comes in a later item and will not fit within 500 words, which was my goal.

At the end of the day, I have 10 statements, comprised of a total of 497 words. I share them here. Feel free to disagree.

Briefly describe the basic tenets of your own faith or belief system:

 

I believe that...

...the body is finite, and human understanding is finite, and the soul is part of the Great Infinitude we call G!d; we each contain a spark of the Divine.

...all of life and creation is sacred, and every human is created b’tzelim Elohim (in the image of G!d) and inherently good. This calls each of us to the highest respect for one another, living to the highest level of integrity in our relationships with G!d (by whatever name or form we conceive that to be), others, and all of creation, as shoftim Elohim (partners with G!d).

...science and scholarship enhances our spiritual depth, experience of life, and understanding of the great questions of existence. A biocentric understanding of the universe can mean, among other things, that past, present, and future are happening simultaneously, and the concept of time is a human construct. G!d does not exist within that human construct. 

...it is possible to embrace diversity within commonality and finding both/and (eileh v’eileh) is often more valuable that either/or. Unity does not require uniformity, and we can affirm personal beliefs while accepting differences, seeking dialogue and partnership with people of other faith traditions, actively working together to bring peace, freedom, and social equity and harmony throughout our world.

...we are each obligated to elevate the world by pursuing tzedek and peace, welcoming the stranger, and protecting the earth and its biodiversity and natural resources. Our lives are best framed by actively pursuing to live within the spiritual values of ahava (love), rachmanut (compassion), tzedek (fairness and righteousness), avoda (service and worship), tikkun hanefesh v’tikkun olam (repair of the soul and repair of the world), kavannah (intention and mindfulness), d’vekut (deep connection to and awareness of G!d), chesed (loving kindness), simcha (joy), kedusha (holiness), hodaya (gratitude), limmud (learning and study), haganut hateva (caring for the environment), tza’ar ba’alei chayim (prevention of pain to animals), k’vod hab’riyot (human dignity), v’shalom habayit (peace at home).

...the personal commitment to ongoing spiritual growth, mindfulness, and transformation fulfills our highest calling as constantly evolving human beings.

...we who are Jewish are linked as a people by a history, a covenantal bond (brit), unique among nations, and that we are called to embrace our own rich cultural and religious pluralism, choosing to welcome and include all who are our own tribe as well as those who seek to embrace our beautiful faith and diverse traditions.

...the ALL is greater than the sum of its disparate parts, and only by working together as shoftim Elohim will the miracle of Oneness be fully realized.

...life, and G!d, is a holy, sacred, ongoing, unfolding, evolving process. If we edit as we go along, we miss out on the journey. When we live life as a destination, we never arrive.

...if I can do nothing else, I choose to embrace the wisdom of His Holiness the Dalai Lama, “My religion is kindness.” I have far to go in that endeavor, but I believe it with all my being.

May my actions be guided by my beliefs.

Amein.