Our
God and God of our ancestors:
The
Haggadah tells us, “In every generation each of us – Jew and non-Jew – is required
to view ourselves as though we, individually, went forth out of Egypt.” In these days when we see evidence of
prejudice and oppression in our society, we can sometimes taste the dust of
Egypt, and feel the degradation of our ancestors.
You
who watch and weep over the misbehavior of your earthbound children; You who
have shown us the path of righteous living through the Torah; You who have
given us minds with which to think and reason, to love and understand: Inspire
us once again, through the retelling of our ancient story of redemption, to confront
the challenges of our world!
This
week, as we gather around our tables; as we open our books and see the crumbs
from Seder's past spilling into our fingers; as we count the wine-stains on our
pages and remember how our cup is always lessened with human suffering, help us
to find perspective, strength and faith.
Help
us recognize that people of color in our midst still suffer the degradation of
racial injustice. Let us pledge to help
bring redemption in our generation.
Cause
us to take up the prejudice directed at our gay and lesbian brothers and
sisters, and to help raise up their love, their affection, and their humanity. Let the world know that everyone should have
the freedom to love whom they wish.
Bring
us to respect and assist those with mental illness in our society. Let us try to understand their perception of
the world, and to welcome them into our lives.
May we help them to find peace with who they are!
Give
us fortitude to continue the struggle toward men and women’s equality in our
world. May prejudices of the past
continue to disappear as women and men become partners in the perfection of our
world.
May
our worship, our laughter and our tears, our stories, and our pledges to action,
bring to fruition the ancient hope of a world perfected and complete! May violence and hatred be drowned out, and
may our hearts be unified in one human embrace.
Let us always be defined by our vision of a better world.
L'shanah
Haba’ah B'yirushalayim. Next year in
Jerusalem!
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