As we enter this 20th week of life from home (or wherever else we are hunkered down), I find myself in a continual space of interpretation, a constant process of holding on and letting go, living in the present and looking to the future in all its sacred messiness. What a blessing when something crosses my path that encapsulates all I am thinking and feeling and experiencing.
A most recent example - this NIKE ad. If you have not seen it - and even if you have - watch it. Again and
again and again. Created to highlight the unifying power of sport, at a time when the specter of Covid still hangs heavily over all professional sports leagues' best-laid plans; and about the pursuit of an equal playing field by athletes looking to create change (Tim Nudd, Muse by Clio, 7//30/2020), the piece speaks to where we are today. Better together. Part of something larger. Merging past experience with our present context.
What rises up for me most in this ad is that life is not precisely what we expect or plan for. The unexpected (and potentially unwelcome) emerges seamlessly, capturing our emotion, inspiring us to think and act in new ways and demanding commitment to the future. This is where we find Moses in parashat VaEtchanan as he reminds the people, and himself, that he will not enter the land. VaEtchanan/I pleaded (Deut. 3:23), Moses begins. I imagined myself crossing the finish line with you, entering the land and settling you into your next chapter. Reading this, I feel his sorrow and frustration. I want to acknowledge his disappointment. I imagine handing him a bag in which to place his distance running shoes (sandals) and replace them with ones suited for a relay as he prepares to hand the baton to his teammate, Joshua. Moses, We know things won't always go our way...whatever it is, we'll find a way (NIKE ad).
Gd calls Moses to take a 360-degree look around and hand things over, deliberately, intentionally, with grace. Life calls on us to hold the path to our dreams with care and flexibility, with respect for the past and awe for how we might create the future. May we continue to build that future with strength and creativity, imagination and fortitude, energy and love. Let our commitment to a future that holds transformative change carry us on our continued path to the promised land.
Shabbat Shalom rg
Congregation Habonim 103 West End Ave New York, NY 10023
