Revelations?
What amazes me is how different the traditions are. It should amaze me. In fact that should have been the most obvious thing ever. But to me it wasn't. Not because I didn't expect the practices to be different. But because the religions just see spirituality from totally opposite directions. Being brought up in Christianity you are taught that you are supposed to try to please Jesus, to obey God. Go to church on Sundays, don't have sex until you are married and write a big check each Sunday and you are good*. But, at least in this book, being Jewish is about trying to become a good person, about learning as much as you can about others, about helping people and then writing your check on a Saturday**.
*Yes, I realize this is an oversimplification. I also know that other Christians express their spirituality in ways besides attending services.
**Again with the oversimplificiation people. I read a book I did not become a rabbi.
Even if you don't convert, which I think we probably will, I can imagine incorporating some of things I read about into how I will raise my kids. Teaching kids about giving money to charity but also donating gifts of their time every week is a good lesson, and one I really want to use.
I just love how open to interpretation it is. How you can make it work for your life and your beliefs. My entire life in a Christian church was spent being told I was wrong and evil to think the things that I thought. It is refreshing to be able to express doubt. Maybe that is only possible if you are not brought up in a religion because you have less invested in it and have to create your own spiritual identity.
*********************************************
Have a migraine. Woke up with it. This is after being up most of the night extremely ill. Also, I had chest pains all day yesterday. Not "oh I am having a heart attack" chest pains but muscular ones. Like I have been coughing too much.
In other words I look and feel like shit today. I actually cannot figure out why I came in. That fucking German guilty work ethic again I suppose.
At least I will embrace my generation's slacker attitude today. If I don't puke into my garbage can.
