05-07-26

ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGS
May 7, 2026
Abraham Joshua Heschel was the Rabbi with whom most folks would like to have dinner. He died in 1972, though he was the Rabbi that was often pictured alongside Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. His books on the Hebrew Prophets were required reading in graduate school, while his book entitled, “In This Hour,” gave me insight into the heart of the man who escaped Poland shortly before the Nazi invasion. He came to the United States, where he taught until his death. Heschel was the one who challenged the Catholic Church, at the time of Vatican II, to remove some antisemitic language in the liturgy. There are many great quotes, but I love the following…

“There is a realm of time where the goal is not to have but to be, not to own but to give, not to control but to share, not to subdue but to be in accord. Life goes wrong when the control of space, the acquisition of things of space, becomes our sole concern.”

This realm that Heschel spoke of was, in his mind, the great ideal, yet for Heschel it was not to be reserved for some afterlife. It was an intentional way of living in the now, a little like Jesus who spoke of repenting (changing our ways) for the Kingdom of God is at hand (Mark 1:15). To both claim and live one’s life as if the Kingdom of God (the sacred ‘realm’ referenced by Heschel) is at hand, places quite a demand on a person. It’s not about pointing to some future existence, but asking the really uncomfortable question, “Is my life communicating my convictions or are my actions rather disconnected from what I claim to believe?” 

Holy God, Giver of a Sacred Vision, we must acknowledge where our lives align with the rather troubling values of our current culture. It happens without us even noticing. Forgive us for our misguided choices, and then invite us back into a worldview that finds value in being, joy in giving, and peace in true unity. Allow Jesus to continue to guide us along the way. Amen.