A New Name of Love, MLK day 2025
How do you respond when you are blamed for some trouble in the world. Or perhaps you are trying to make some “good trouble” as the Rev Dr. Martin Luther King and his wife Coretta did from 1955 with the Montgomery Bus Boycott until Martin and Coretta’s deaths? Martin was arrested multiple times for breaking the law. He won the Nobel Peace Prize for his nonviolent, yet powerful “trouble making” for change In this week’s Torah Portion Va’era, G8d responds to Moshe’s (Moses’) accusation of making life harder for the Israelites with revealing a new name associated with womb like compassion and love. Check it out here on my sources page The new name is unpronounceable, it is like the sound of life and breathing. Crucially G8d is listening, through the criticism, when Moshe thinks NOONE is listening, not Pharoah, nor the Israelites. These times coming are as tough as Martin and Coretta’s. Nobody is listening to climate change leaders fighting for truth and justice, for rights of the poor and oppressed. Clearly G8d is about Chesed and Rachamim, about loving kindness and womb like compassion, rather than wealth and power. May the Holy One of blessing hear our cries!
In response to Anne‘s question, and radio broadcast, I have challenged myself to link Songs and prayers to match to this week’s parashah: Shema YIsrael, which includes the Four letter name of G8d. It is sandwiched by a prayer of the gift of G8d’s love, and the command to love, v’ahavta. Check out my “B’chol levav’cha”
Adonai-Adonai the thirteen attributes of G8d, sung at the festivals, and High Holy Days. Here is Leon Sher/ Ellen Dreskin’s, and my version in response to Jonah, who needs badly to learn of G8d’s love and compassion
Hear their Cries: Love the Stranger from this past post soundfile link included.
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