Spirit and Story Archive

Welcome to Spirit and Story, where you can find the latest thoughts and reflections by CLAL faculty and associates on the contours of our contemporary spiritual journeys.

To access the CLAL Spirit and Story Archive, click here.

(Dr. Richard Lipton recently participated in a seminar entitled "What Is Religion For?" convened by the Jewish Public Forum at CLAL on November 19, 2001. He offers this poem in the spirit of that gathering. For more information about the JPF seminar click here.)

 

Prayer for the New Millennium

By Richard Lipton

Praise to you, Our Lord our God,
God of Abraham, God of Isaac, God of Jacob,
God of Buddha, God of Jesus, God of Mohammad,
God of Agnostics and Atheists.
 

You are the abundantly kind Creator of all,
Remember the piety of all of our ancestors,
The acts of kindness made by the Human Spirit,
Whether or not in Your Name.
 

For the Human Spirit is Your Spirit,
And Your Truth has many forms,
Help us to embrace all that binds us together,
And all that separates us.

For our beliefs are but shadows of Your Truth,
Cast in many directions,
By the ever-present,
Divine Light.
 

We are divided,
By our images of the Divine Face,
Which none can see.
 

Divided by our myths and metaphors,
By our limited angles of vision,
By our search for permanence.

As Your partners in creation,
Grant us the wisdom to recognize,
The breadth of Your Vision,
That all of humanity,
Is made in Your Image.

Grant us the courage,
To use our tradition,
As a foundation for meaning,
As a tree of life,
Supported and enriched,
By a forest which grows,
In your Divine Light.

 

    

To join the conversation at Spirit and Story Talk, click here.
To access the Spirit and Story Archive, click here.
To receive the Spirit and Story column by email on a regular basis, complete the box below:
topica
 Receive CLAL Spirit and Story! 
       



Copyright c. 2001, CLAL - The National Jewish Center for Learning and Leadership. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without permission is prohibited.