|
God Whispers:
Stories of the Soul, Lessons of the Heart
by Karyn D. Kedar
Jewish Lights Publishing, 176 pages
Reviewed by Anthony F. Chiffolo
A good way to pick up on neglected New Year’s resolutions is to open a book of meditations, and one that I recommend is Karyn D. Kedar’s God Whispers: Stories of the Soul, Lessons of the Heart. Kedar, a rabbi who serves as a spiritual director, weaves together experiences from her own life to uncover the sacredness of the ordinary. These stories show how we can fully embrace life’s highs and lows and thereby come to understand that joy is the purpose of our existence.
But the way to joy is not easy. As Kedar writes, “To embark on a spiritual journey, we must engage in two dances: one lessens fear, and one expands moments of love and connectedness.” The second, of course, cannot happen for us unless we begin the first, but for many of us who don’t know how to dance, so to speak, just getting to the dance floor can be an emotionally harrowing experience. That’s why Kedar advises us to begin with the dance of narration, by telling the stories of our lives. With a prayer, she reminds us not to fear our experiences but to embrace them:
God, help us to understand
That everything in our lives,
The good, bad, and the ugly
Have led us to this moment right now.
Be with us as we embrace it all,
The tears and the joy.
All that has come before
Is the path that has blessed us with this moment.
As many people might, I have oftentimes responded, “Well, I’ll bless the moment as soon as my life produces a good moment.” And sometimes I feel that I’ve experienced more than my fair share of difficult moments. But my experience has also shown that if I dwell in the remorse of the past or the fear of the future, or simply wallow in the self-pity of the present, I’ll definitely miss any blessing the present moment might bring. For me, the loss is too great to risk.
Kedar would agree. That’s why she wants to lead us out of our disconnection and into connectedness -- with self, with others, and with God -- so that we might live fully and joyfully. It’s a purpose well worth pursuing.
Anthony F. Chiffolo is the author of 100 Names of Mary: Stories & Prayers, published by St. Anthony Messenger Press. He reviews books for WVOX Radio, 1460 AM, in New Rochelle, New York, and for community newsletters. Chiffolo is also the author of Be Mindful of Us: Prayers to the Saints, the An Hour with the Saints series of pamphlets, and other books from Liguori Publications. He lives in Hartsdale, New York.
|
