Dear all,
As we drove home earlier this week, the sky couldn’t seem to decide what it wanted to be.
The rain came down in sheets — then suddenly the sun burst through.
Moments later, the sky darkened to a dark gray, only to open again into a brilliant blue with soft white clouds.
Then it rained again… while the sun was still shining.
From the back seat Eli called out, “God, can’t you make up your mind?”
But maybe the sky had made up its mind.
Maybe it was simply holding more than one truth at once.
And I realized how often life works this way:
You can be hurt by someone and still love them.
You can believe in destiny and still choose your path.
You can want someone to live — and also pray for their suffering end through a peaceful death.
We are living in an increasingly polarized world that demands we choose sides. Either/or might feel clean. Final. Certain.
But life — and faith — rarely operate that way.
Both/and is harder.
Both/and stretches us.
Both/and asks us to live without easy resolution.
Both/and is where compassion grows.
When we reached home, we ran from the car through the downpour and arrived completely drenched. At first we groaned. And then we laughed.
Because in a single moment in time, we held discomfort and joy together.
With love and Shalom,
Rabbi Zachary R. Shapiro
