a bit from the board meeting

[cellio]

It is extremely rare for me to speak well (extemporaneously) in a public setting. I am much better with the written word than with the spoken word. Tonight at the board meeting, however, I had a rare moment when things seemed to click.

Our meetings always include, along with the business matters of the month, an educational section (usually short). We're a synagogue board of trustees; we should learn some Torah, or discuss theology or philosophy, at least briefly.

This afternoon our rabbi met with some Christian and Muslim leaders to try to work out a joint statement on our country's current hostilities. (I'm not sure what purpose such statements serve, but we didn't go there.) A point of contention for them had been the statement "We pray for [adjective] soldiers". The argument was whether it was necessary/permitted to pray for all soldiers, or just for ours. So he put the question to us.

The predictable arguments were made on both sides, and then I got my turn. I said approximately the following (and I'm trying to preserve words here). The question, as stated, is incomplete; it doesn't specify the prayer. There are certainly many prayers that we ought to say for everyone in the combat zone. However, we might reserve prayers for success for the soldiers on one side.

Judging from the reactions I got, most people in the room hadn't thought of it that way. While I don't think it was particularly clever or insightful, I find myself pleased by the positive responses I got anyway. Maybe it's just that I usually trip over my words when trying to speak in such situations.

Comments

good for you....

[moose]

Sometimes people get so wrapped up in their own feelings or dilemas that they don't see the forest for the tree, so to speak.

[jducoeur]

Very good way of thinking about it, IMO, and a distinction that usually isn't drawn. Wishing for safety and wishing for success don't necessarily have much to do with one another. (Indeed, even the definition of "success" is painfully unclear right now...)