I saw this quote yesterday:It is better to have an ENEMY who honestly says they hate you than to have a FRIEND who's putting you down SECRETLY."
This thought made me think. I hope that I don't have any friends that put me down secretly. It hurts to even think about that.
What really bothers me is that I have a dear friend that I love so much, but she "drives me crazy" sometimes. The thing is, I tell another friend, who also loves her, that my friend "drives me crazy." Does that mean I'm putting her down?
Here's another thought: During the summer, I found out that one of my son's friends was making fun of me behind my back because of the things I post on Facebook. I was so, so hurt. I was given this information from the friend that "drives me crazy." She passed on information to me that hurt. Did I need to hear about someone wanting to make fun of me?
Changing my thoughts slightly:
Today, I remembered something that happened over 20 years ago. I was approached by a rabbi after I spoke about Passover in at church for JFJ. He said, "These people are not your friends; come back to Judaism."
His words are ones I will never forget. That's what I wanted to do. I wanted to be "just plain Jewish."
All these years, yes, I've tried so very hard to do just that: to be Jewish , but...I've hung on to all the people I knew from "before." Facebook made it worse. People that I forgot existed, who I once knew from my religious past, have become connected to me through the internet and Facebook.
I wondered when I first joined Facebook, if I should have opened myself up to people I knew from "then," but I decided to accept anyone who "friended me."
"Seeing" them again and hearing what they had to say, for awhile, made me think that maybe I was wrong to want to seek G-d as a Jew. I wanted to keep the "door" slightly open.
The only thing is, my desire to be Jewish means to some people that I'm not tolerant of those who seek God in a different way than I do. Some may even think that I am putting them down behind their backs. That is far from true.
I love and respect so many of the people that have loved me and been a part of my life. We may not agree on the what is the way to God, but I am so thankful for you. Although I may be keeping my distance lately, please know that I'm glad you are still there.
Sounds to me, Jo Ann, you have your head screwed on and your heart in the right place.
ReplyDeleteI'm always a little taken aback when people argue whether this 'statement of faith', creed etc. is 'true' or not. Especially when they fall out over it.
For me 'true' means straight like a plumbline; consistent through and through. Reality is True because its nature is to be itself. I may have it wrong (not being a Jew) but isn't this a similar form to the the Name of G-d?
No statement can ever be 'true'. They are conceptual, a fabrication of our minds not a concrete part of the world. They are at best descriptions of Reality. It doesn't matter how accurate or precise the description is, it can never become the reality it describes, can it?
So no statement can ever really be 'true'. They are all just commentary: our conversation about the Mystery we live within. It is a shame when people loose sight of that and, in the process, create needless disharmony.
The true blessing is when we are real with one another: my 'inside' recognising your 'inside'. Differences on the outside matter less, I feel.