Rabbi's Week in Review Blog

As we have celebrated the birthday of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. this week, there has been a good deal of discussion about King’s legacy. He looked toward a future with hope, and we still are looking toward that future. 

I think of two quotes attributed to Dr. King. The first: “The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy.” The second, very famous: “I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character.”

As to the first quote, I truly believe we make real progress only when we confront, rather than avoid, tension. We need to be comfortable with being uncomfortable. To understand those who are not us, we need to be willing to spend time in their space. When communities are divided and polarized, it is important to spend time in the other’s space. While this — to walk in the shoes of the other — can be interpreted in a figurative rather than a literal way, I often see it in a more literal sense.  

Our divides are often geographic. Kansas Citians have known for decades the dividing line between black and white that is Troost. Are we willing to cross that line? For those of us who are straight, are we willing to enter into queer space? Our two fundraisers at Hamburger Mary’s were more than just fun nights raising a little money. It was intentional to show our willingness to be in queer space. I am proud that we have held our last two Pesach seders and a Tu B’Shevat program at Guadalupe Center. Now more than ever, we need to cross artificial and divisive boundaries.

For the second quote, I am focused on the simple beginning, “I have a dream …” Dreaming is how we seek out a better future. The dreaming is to see beyond the chaos and hardness of the world that is, and to see the world that can and should be. As Jews, our relationship with G-d is a constant seeking out of a world redeemed, a world imbued with the peace we pray for every day.

In this difficult time, let us keep hold of our dreams, to not stop working for that better future — our dream of a future where boundaries are diminished, where no one lives in fear and where peace abounds.