To Touch the Face of God

BY DAVID NEWTON
ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED IN SACRED JOURNEY, WINTER 2013

Andrew Harvey’s interview in this quarter’s edition of Sacred Journey is a fascinating call to arms. He challenges his reader to “reconcile the two noble fires in the human soul – the fire of the mystic’s passion to G-d and the fire of the activist’s passion to justice.” He further observes that:

…if you only have the consciousness of the mystic without the passion of the activist,

you go on believing that you are living an authentic mystical life when you are actually

doing nothing to help the planet. If, however, you only have the passion-driven

consciousness of the activist without the mystical depth, you are going to reproduce

the problems that you are trying to solve. So without spiritual practice being the core

of our lives, we are never going to find the subtle balance and marriage of the energies

of the passion for G-d and the passion for justice.

This eloquent definition echoes another more ancient imperative, a phrase familiar to many Jews: “tikkun olam b’malchut shaddai,” to “repair the world in G-d’s Kingdom.” Most Jews refer to the shortened version of the phrase “to fix the world,” yet G-d is also a necessary part of the concept. Fixing the world (tikkun olam) without G-d (b’malchut shaddai) is impossible.

The prophet Isaiah (Ch. 58) however takes this idea a step further asking what the point is of ritual fasting and lamenting, beating on your chest and prostrating yourselves when injustices in our society persist.

No, this is the fast I desire, Isaiah says:

…It is to share your bread with the hungry,

And to take the wretched poor into your home;

When you see the naked, to clothe him,

And not to ignore your own kin.

Then shall your light burst through like the dawn

And your healing spring up quickly.

        In spite of appearances, Isaiah is not prophesying against religious practice. Rather, he is suggesting religion cannot be practiced in a vacuum. Religion without social justice does not endure. But social justice without religion, according to Andrew Harvey, will also not endure.

              So in this chicken and egg dilemma, which comes first? Man’s relationship with G-d, or man’s relationship and responsibility to his fellow man? Given what you are about to read I will allow you, the reader, to make up your own mind; whatever your decision, I am sure it will be correct.

              I would like to dedicate this issue of Sacred Journey to those who do so much to enhance the lives of others; who feed the hungry and clothe the naked; who shelter the homeless and care for the sick, the physically and mentally challenged, the elderly and the infirm; those who represent the rights of prisoners and the persecuted and who advocate for the voiceless; indeed, this issue is dedicated to all those who help ease suffering, those righteous ones amongst us whose light bursts like the dawn and whose countenances reflect the face of our Creator.

              This will be our final printed edition of Sacred Journey. The Board of Directors of Fellowship in Prayer has not been able to satisfactorily justify the cost of the journal given a shrinking circulation. While we realize that many loyal readers will wish our decision were otherwise, it is my sincerest hope that we will eventually be able to resurrect the journal potentially in an online format. In the meantime, I would like to thank the dedicated editorial staff of Sacred Journey who have contributed both hard work and great love to producing this journal. And finally I would like to thank you, our readers, for your loyalty and support. We hope that Sacred Journey has contributed to and enhanced the quality of your lives.