As We Look On
Last Saturday (on the Jewish sabbath), my perception of the world changed a little in a shocking event wherein Israelis were attacked and killed in very large numbers near the Gaza Strip. Hatred, fear, and mourning ruled the day, by design.
This last Friday the 13th was designated a “Day of Rage” or (for purists) “Day of Jihad” by Hamas – bringers of death, chaos, dismemberment, and celebrations thereof, as if the message had somehow been missed. (Interestingly, Hamas is an acronym for Harakat al-Muqawama al-Islamiya relating to Islamic resistance – to what, is not exactly specified in the name). Nevertheless, there was requested a day either of rage or jihad, depending on your interpretation of the tradition. I don’t think it lived up to the hype, but the word got around.
I was thinking of a Jewish response, given the total misery of the situation. What kind of day could the Jewish world proclaim that might offset or even defend against the craziness that had descended on it? A few ideas came to mind.
Day of Sarcasm:
“Dearest Member of the Tribe,
Now is the time to strike the nonbelievers and perpetrators with severe irony. Point out, without mercy, ties that don’t match shirts, bad rugs, and loud jump suits. Identify tautologies and run-on sentences in leaflets. Point out poor photography. Decry bad taste in Ninja ware. Don’t be afraid to humiliate by example and citation.”
Day of Slapstick:
“Dearest Member of the Tribe,
Always attack the elastic suspender. Pull back and let snap. Potch!! The nonbeliever will be surprised and brought down a peg. Consider the effectiveness of pies to the face. Even Fred Rogers would approve of pies being used in this manner. Pull wide-brimmed hats down over the eyes.”
Day of Staring Contests:
“Dearest Member of the Tribe,
Engage the nonbeliever in a classic contest of wills. Stare at the eyes. Whoever breaks up first (and let it not be you) has lost face before a creator who supposedly had such hopes for them. Some deities only love the humorless and unkind. Show no mercy in drawing out that momentary warmth of human spirit.”
Day of Laughs:
Dearest Member of the Tribe,
“At some point life will move on peaceably. Your task is to always remember the sweetness of life and the happier possibilities within it. To laugh is to live; it is the enemy of darkness and fear. It sees the fallacies of human foibles and inconsequence. It lightens all loads. It may be the greatest gift we have.”
My heart is with the fallen this week and those who have been so rudely snatched away from their lives and those taken prematurely from this often-violent planet. Shalom.