|
|
|
Welcome! Education Community
Resources
|
This is an essay explaining what Reconstructionists believe. It is a Reconstructionist approach to spirituality. ************************* Reconstructionist Judaism: Faith You Can Believe In by Rabbi Gary S. Fink Oseh Shalom Congregation Reconstructionist Judaism For those in search of faith you can believe in, Reconstructionism might be the answer. Reconstructionist Judaism blends ancient tradition with contemporary thought in exciting and compelling ways. It brings together the intellectual clarity of our modern world, the dynamic spirituality of our mystical tradition, and the wellspring of faith from our rabbinic heritage. Through its unique spirituality and through its calling, Reconstructionist Judaism gives us a meaningful way to look at the world, and pathways to guide and enrich our lives. Reconstructionist Judaism is a product of 4,000 years of human experience and spiritual development. It enhances the spirit but does not close the mind. It leads us to a way of life whose goal is simple and profound -making a better world. When activated, Reconstructionist Judaism ennobles us and enables us. It ennobles us by making our lives more meaningful. And it enables us to bring wholeness and healing to our world. Historical Background Reconstructionism is a twentieth century Jewish movement. Although smaller than the Reform, Conservative, Orthodox, and Chassidic movements, its impact on modern Jewish life has been significant. Rabbi Mordecai Kaplan founded Reconstructionism in the 1920s as a liberal breakaway from the Conservative Movement. He grounded his philosophy on three ideas that were considered radical for that time:
Supernaturalism and Spirituality Far ahead of his time, Rabbi Kaplan acknowledged that we do not have to build spirituality on a precarious foundation of myth and supernaturalism. Supernaturalists see God as a Being who looks down upon us and who may decide to intervene in our lives. They view God as a Being who rewards the good and punishes the bad. For supernaturalists, it is God who causes the tragedy and pain that befall us, and it is God who permits our suffering. In contrast, we see God as the power that helps us get through the tragedies that we encounter-a spirit that helps us live meaningfully even when we encounter pain in life. As Reconstructionists, we embrace spirituality, faith, and God in a thoughtful and modern way. Our spirituality depends on faith-faith that our fleeting lives do have meaning in the span of history. This is open-eyed, not blind, faith. Our spirituality is contingent on belief-belief that we are called to bring tikkun, or repair, to a fragmented world; and that we have the potential to do just that. Our spirituality is based on a certainty-certainty that our lives are connected to each other and to the natural world in which we live. Reconstructionist spirituality, then, is a different kind of faith. It is a faith that you can believe in. What Is God? Jewish tradition teaches that God is one, and that we can not know what God looks like. Although God is not visible or physical, we and our children need ways to think about God. What is God? God is a Spirit, not a Being. We picture God more like a ray of light than like a person. God is a Spirit that connects everything and everyone. A Spirit that comforts us and gives us hope. A Spirit that calls us to heal our world. God is the Oneness of the universe. Many of us view God as the source of life, or as an energy that gives everything life. In the end, we can't know exactly what God is. But we can know when God is! When Is God? How do we know when God is with us? We feel God's Presence when we feel that we are not alone, that we are connected to something greater than ourselves-to others, or to the vastness of nature. We feel God's Presence when we know that life has value and importance. We feel God's Presence when we know and feel that tomorrow can be better than today; when we find hope within reach. And we feel God's Presence whenever we bring tikkun to the world. Tikkun refers to repair, or healing, of our broken world. Thus, it is through a sense of God-through our spiritual consciousness-that life can become better and more meaningful and that the world can become more whole and more healed. Spiritual Consciousness There is great power in spiritual consciousness. It is through our spiritual consciousness that we embrace and savor the beauty, wonder, and blessing that life can bring. It is through our spiritual consciousness that we find strength to endure tragedies that assail us, and find meaning in suffering that afflicts us. In our spiritual consciousness, there is power to support, to liberate, to comfort, and to enrich our existence. We do not have to believe in a supernatural God to find the transcendent power of the human spirit. Views of Traditional Prayer How can we affirm a broad, spiritual consciousness when so many prayer books speak of a supernatural God with human qualities? In traditional prayer, God is described as "He who judges," and then rewards, punishes, or writes our fate in the book of life. Reconstructionist prayerboooks, however, seek to express spirituality without describing God in specific anthropomorphic terms. In addition, traditional prayers need not be read as dogma but as poetry-which uses concrete images to evoke powerful ideas and feelings. Traditional prayers can be read as expressions of hope, not as statements of fact. The ideas of prayer are its essence: introspection, renewal, thanksgiving, hope, blessing, comfort, and spiritual connection. These themes should guide our prayer-whether we pray from the traditional written text or spontaneously from the heart-whether we perceive God anthropomorphically or as a Spritiual force. When we pray, we pray with God, not to God. That is, we feel a Divine Presence within us and around us. And we draw strength and insight from that sense of Oneness to elevate our lives and guide our actions. A Calling Reconstructionist spirituality is also grounded in the idea of a calling. For Reconstructionists, being called means that acting with justice and kindness toward others is not an option but a command. It means that making life more meaningful is an obligation, not a choice. It means that tikkun olam-the repair of our world-is an imperative, not a matter of personal preference. The call we hear as Reconstructionist Jews impels us to walk the pathways of tikkun (wholeness and healing). Thus, there is such a thing as a good Reconstructionist Jew. It means being an active Jew who seeks tikkun, rather than a passive one who remains unmoved. Reconstructionism Is Active Reconstructionism, then, is like a kitchen appliance-it works only when it is turned on! It must be activated to work. We feel the redemptive power of tikkun only when we are turned on. We must be active in order for Judaism to work in our lives. Today, every Jew is a Jew by choice. Unless we choose to bring tikkun into our life, our Judaism becomes a hollow shell, our spiritual voice atrophies, and the goodness that is in the world diminishes. What Do Reconstructionists Believe? Reconstructionist Jewish belief can be summarized in one sentence: An awareness of a Divine Presence (God) calls us to bring tikkun to our lives and to the world. In Reconstructionist Judaism we find: * an affirmation of spiritual consciousness. * a universal, accessible, believable God. * a humanizing, energizing spiritual tradition. We invite you to journey with us to bring wholeness and healing, blessing and fulfillment to our lives, our loved ones, and our world. (c) Rabbi Gary S. Fink
|