Thank you, Rabbi.

Rabbi Jonah Pesner was kind enough to send me the text of the invocation that he delivered at last week’s inaugural ceremonies for Deval Patrick. Rabbi Pesner is the founding Director of Just Congregations. He has graciously allowed me to post his inspiring words here.

Rabbi Jonah Dov Pesner
Founding Director
Just Congregations
Union for Reform Judaism

Invocation
Inauguration of Deval Patrick
Governor of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts
January 4th, 2007

Governor Patrick, Lieutenant Governor Murray, elected and civic leaders, people of the commonwealth, I am most deeply honored to offer these words of invocation to open this sacred assembly.

In the Talmud, the ancient rabbis teach that whenever we encounter a large gathering of people, it is appropriate to offer the following blessing:

“Blessed is the Wise One
Who understands secrets
For the mind of each
Is different from the other
Just as the face of each
Is different from the other.”

Source of all life,
Out of many,
You have made us ONE.
You have created us splendidly
In our distinctiveness:
You have made us a spectacular,
Living tapestry
Many colors and complexions
Rich in languages and beliefs,
Varied in our blessings,
And challenged by our curses.

Indeed the face of each one
Is different than the other –
And here we gather
Meeting,
Face to face.


Look around! See the beauty of the faces,
Each one unique
Reflecting the very image
Of the divine
Each one from a common source
A single, sacred family.

Yet behind every face
Hide so many secrets.
Private, painful secrets of suffering.
If only we would find your Wisdom O God
Revealing all the secrets,
The pained suffering
Of parents who watch helpless
As their children are plagued
By guns, drugs, and gangs
The private pain
Of children struggling to care for their parents
As they age and grow frail,
The secret suffering of immigrants
Who like us came to this place
To seek a better life
And labor hidden and underpaid in jobs
Upon which the rest of us depend,
But won’t do ourselves
Of our gay and lesbian brothers and sisters
Who daily confront blatant discrimination,
Inequality and humiliation
Of those who sleep in the streets,
Those who are overworked and underpaid,
Those who are abused in their own homes
Those who are left behind
By their disabilities.

So many secrets,
Private sufferings.

Yet we have hope.
Yes we have faith.
Because we have each other.


Assembled here in the light of day
Bathing in the unseasonable warmth of your presence,
We affirm that democracy
Is not built with bricks and mortar;
We know your ancient wisdom
Is found in no cathedral,
Temple,
Nor shrine –
It is here,
Face to face
It is everywhere humanity gathers
And out of many,
Makes one.

Let our secrets of suffering
Give way to stories of
Rebuilding
Repair
And Redemption

Stories of redemption
Like a kid from the South Side of Chicago
Becoming the governor of Massachusetts
Representing the people

We the people;

Let us never forget the faces
The secrets
And the stories

God, grant us your wisdom
That we may never forget that
Democracy happens out here –
Face to face –
Among the people
As we join together
In one spirit
And write one shared story:


The story of a commonwealth
That acts like a commonwealth
Where secrets of private suffering
Where tales of lonely languish
Are joined
Through the power of the people
Rising up
Together
Encountering one another
Face to face
And writing a new story
One story

Echoing Isaiah’s ancient call:

“If you banish the yoke from your midst
The menacing hand
And evil speech
And you offer your compassion to the hungry
And satisfy the needs of the afflicted,
Then shall your light shine in the darkness
And your gloom shall be like noonday…

You shall be like a watered garden
Like a spring whose waters never fail.
And you shall rebuild ancient ruins
You shall restore the foundations of many generations
You shall be called the repairer of the breach…”

This is the story of redemption;
The story of a true commonwealth
Rebuilt
Repaired
And Redeemed.

Amen. May this be God’s will.

Hello, gorgeous

Little Joe (my son) and I listened to today’s inauguration from my workplace across from the State House. Today’s ceremony was about a fresh start for Massachusetts, just as Little Joe is getting a fresh start.

We listened to Deval’s speech, and it was moving for what it said, disappointing for what it left unsaid. Although I wanted to feel upbeat, I found myself wondering why he neglected to mention the GLBT community, which he also left out of his victory speech on election night.

Far more inspiring, I felt, was Rabbi Jonah Pesner’s invocation. His words represented all that is good—in fact, the very best—within the Judeo-Christian tradition. Integral to Pesner’s faith is a longing for social justice and a deep awareness of our connectedness. For me, these are the most important elements of divinity. I tried to find the text of his prayer online, but met with no success, so I’m going to write him a letter.

I took the above photo as the crowds were gathering on Beacon Street. I don’t know if the man asleep here even knew that such a historic event was taking place less than a hundred feet away while he dozed. I do not know his story. Nor do I know if Deval Patrick’s promises of hope and change will improve his situation and the lives of those like him. I suppose that depends upon whether or not Patrick wil repair the holes left by the Romney administration in our Commonwealth’s safety net.

Travaglini the Eloquent

Christ, where the hell did Massachusetts Senate President Robert Travaglini (shown left) learn English? Watching The Sopranos? I don’t mean to nit pick, but reading the text of his remarks at last Friday’s press conference with governor elect Deval Patrick made me cringe. After issuing a stern warning to Patrick last week, he threatened to withdraw the legislature’s support of Patrick’s agenda, Travaglini backed down, explaining:

“The relationship between Deval and I is important not only to he and I but to everyone who resides in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts…”

The relationship between Deval and me. You don’t use the nominative case after a preposition. And to whom is it important? Certainly not to he and I, but rather to him and me.

I’ve noticed something of a trend in the erroneous use of the nominative case in instances where the accusative case is required. Ironically, I get the feeling that those who are guilty of butchering the English language in this fashion do so because they feel it makes them sound more intelligent.