Dear all,
We often assume that a theological crisis comes when God does not answer our prayers. After all, how many times have we wondered—quietly or aloud—whether God is listening at all?
But last week, as I was flying to Washington, DC—accompanying our teens as they prepared to speak truth to power before our elected leaders—I was struck by something entirely different. I was overwhelmed because God did answer my prayer.
In the stillness of the flight, I entered a moment of meditation. My words were not wrapped in the familiar liturgy of “Baruch Atah Adonai / Blessed are You, God.” Instead, I simply closed my eyes and asked for guidance—asking God to lead me through the coming months with peace.
When I opened my eyes, there it was: a remarkable rainbow, shaped almost like an eye, gazing back at me from the heavens.
It felt unmistakable.
Sometimes God does not whisper. Sometimes God answers plainly—visibly—even boldly. The question, then, is not whether God is speaking. The question is whether we are willing to notice.
May we keep our hearts open enough, and our spirits quiet enough, to recognize any given moment in time when we can say:
God is speaking.
And then ask ourselves—are we listening?
With love and Shalom,
Rabbi Zachary R. Shapiro
